American rock band The Strokes ended their second weekend performance at Coachella with a political message, showing a video montage accusing the CIA of carrying out regime change in several countries and ending with visuals of Israel’s bombing of Gaza and US strikes on Iran.

The final minutes of the set surprised both the live audience and viewers watching from home, as the band had ended their performance differently during the first weekend of the festival.

The montage played during their final song, “Oblivius,” which had not been performed live by the band since 2016. During the chorus, lead singer Julian Casablancas repeated the line, “What side you standing on?”

As the band performed in front of an illuminated mosque backdrop, the large LED screens behind them showed footage of recent US bombings in the Middle East. One caption read, “Over 30 universities destroyed in Iran,” followed by footage of a building in Gaza being demolished with the caption, “Last university standing in Gaza”.

Most of the montage focused on American intervention in foreign governments, from slavery-era references to recent missile strikes in Iran.

The visuals also included claims that the CIA was involved in overthrowing governments in South America and referenced the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. A caption shown on screen stated: “US govt found guilty of his murder in civil trial”.


The montage also claimed that CIA involvement in the 1981 plane crashes that killed Panamanian president Omar Torrijos and Ecuadorian president Jaime Roldós, along with references to the overthrow of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh in 1953, Chilean President Salvador Allende in 1973, and Bolivian President Juan Torres in 1976.

The set ended with footage of a bomber plane in the air as the music stopped.

Many fans responded positively on social media. Comments under the band’s Instagram posts included: “Thank you so much for using your stage to highlight Gaza and Iran and Latin America” and “Amazing show and a bombshell of reality at the end!”

The performance also drew attention because last year’s major Coachella controversy involved Irish group Kneecap using their set to criticise Israel over military actions in the Middle East.

Many followers of The Strokes were already aware of Casablancas’ support for Palestine, as he had signed the 2021 “Musicians for Palestine” letter.