Pro-Palestinian protesters demand cancellation of Israeli dance performance at Madrid theater

Approximately 200 pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside Teatros del Canal in Madrid on Thursday night to demand the cancellation of a performance by Israel's Batsheva Dance Company. The demonstration, organized by the BDS movement, included chants of 'Murderers' and 'Shame on you' directed at audience members. The performance went ahead as scheduled and ended with a standing ovation. The theater director rejected the demands, citing professional over political considerations. The three-show engagement sold out.

Approximately 200 pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the Teatros del Canal theater in Madrid on Thursday night to protest a performance by Israel's Batsheva Dance Company. The demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and displayed a banner reading 'Israel dances while it kills in Gaza,' calling for a boycott and demanding the cancellation of the performances. Some shouted 'Murderers' and 'Shame on you' at audience members. Despite the protest, the performance went ahead as planned and ended with a standing ovation, according to the Israeli Embassy in Spain. Batsheva is performing Sadeh21, a work by choreographer Ohad Naharin, as part of a three-show engagement in Madrid scheduled for October 15, 16, and 17. Spanish media reports say all three performances sold out. The theater's director, Ruperto Merino, rejected demands to cancel, saying decisions about the artistic program were based on professional, not political, considerations. The protest was organized by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and pro-Palestinian solidarity groups. The article also notes that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) published a study on October 1 documenting the exclusion of Jewish, Israeli, and Zionist artists from cultural industries across the United States, which mentions Batsheva.