A Palestinian flag was unfurled on stage at the Royal Opera House in London during a curtain call on Saturday night, sparking a tussle with staff. The incident occurred at the end of a performance of Verdi's Il Trovatore, when a cast member displayed the flag during the encore.
Witnesses reported that a member of staff attempted to remove the flag, but the cast member resisted and held onto it. Audience member Stephen Ratcliffe posted on X: 'Controversy at end of Trovatore @rbo_org tonight when an extra/chorus member unfurled a Palestinian flag. Off stage manager tried to grapple with him but he held his ground.'
A video posted on social media shows a man, believed to be a Royal Opera House employee, emerging from the wings and trying to forcibly take the flag, but the cast member yanked it back. Other performers on stage appeared unaware of the incident, while officials in the wings shouted at the protester, who ignored them.
A spokesperson for the Royal Ballet and Opera said: 'The display of the flag was an unauthorised action by the artist. It was not approved by the Royal Ballet and Opera and is a wholly inappropriate act.' The protest took place on the closing night of Il Trovatore, after an 11-night run at the Covent Garden venue.
