LONDON

Pro-Palestine activists disrupted a BBC Proms concert at the Royal Albert Hall, accusing the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) of silencing artists critical of Israel’s war on Gaza.

Members of Jewish Artists for Palestine interrupted the performance for more than 10 minutes on Friday night. Some shouted from the upper stalls that the orchestra had “silenced artists” and “silenced protest.”

Videos on social media showed banners reading “Jewish Artists for Palestine” and “complicit in genocide.”

One protester shouted: “The MSO has blood on its hands. You silenced Jayson Gillham.”

Gillham, a leading pianist, is suing the MSO after it cancelled a Melbourne concert he was scheduled to perform in August 2024. He says the cancellation was aimed at suppressing his outspoken criticism of Israel’s assault on Gaza.

The group said in a statement: “We reject Zionist funding, censorship and complicity in our cultural institutions.”

The BBC confirmed the concert was paused. “There was a disturbance at tonight’s Prom which meant the concert was paused for a few minutes and the live broadcast on BBC Radio 3 diverted to pre-recorded music,” a spokesperson said.

Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 63,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, devastating the enclave, which is facing famine.

In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its genocide in Gaza