The Strokes End Coachella Performance With Video Montage Condemning U.S. and Israeli Bombings in Iran and Gaza

The Strokes concluded their second-weekend Coachella set with a stark political statement, diverging sharply from their previous performance. Instead of a typical encore, the band played "Oblivius"—a song not performed live since 2016—against a lengthy video montage. The footage accused the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of orchestrating decades of foreign regime changes and assassinations, from the 1953 overthrow of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh to the 1973 ousting of Chilean President Salvador Allende.

As Julian Casablancas repeatedly sang the chorus line, "What side you standing on?", the visuals escalated to contemporary conflicts. The montage displayed captions over footage of U.S. bombings in Iran, stating "Over 30 universities destroyed in Iran," followed by imagery of a destroyed building in Gaza with the text: "Last university standing in Gaza." This direct inclusion of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was particularly notable, coming a year after Irish rap group Kneecap sparked major controversy at the 2025 festival with their profane condemnation of Israeli military actions. Unlike that incident, Coachella's production appeared to accommodate the Strokes' protest, with the YouTube live feed clearly broadcasting the provocative captions and footage.

The video also revived several historical conspiracy theories, including an assertion that the U.S. government was found guilty in the 1999 civil trial for the murder of Martin Luther King Jr.—a verdict the Justice Department later disputed in 2000. It further alleged CIA involvement in the 1981 plane crashes that killed Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos and Ecuadorian President Jaime Roldós. This expansive critique framed American foreign policy from the era of slavery to modern missile strikes as a continuous thread of intervention.

Initial fan reaction on the band's social media was largely supportive, with comments praising the group for "using your stage to highlight Gaza and Iran and Latin America." However, broader backlash from pro-Israel advocates and conservative audiences is anticipated as clips circulate online. Frontman Julian Casablancas has previously expressed solidarity with Palestine, having signed the 2021 "Musicians for Palestine" letter, a stance familiar to many of the band's followers. As one cultural analyst noted, "Major festival stages have become unlikely but powerful platforms for geopolitical commentary, forcing a mass audience to confront narratives often absent from mainstream media."

The protest capped a significant weekend for the New York rock band, who had just announced a global tour starting in June. The tour includes an August headlining slot at the Just Like Heaven festival in Pasadena, produced by Goldenvoice—the same promoter behind Coachella. This scheduling highlights the complex relationship between artistic expression and commercial festival circuits, where political messaging can coexist with major promotional cycles.