More
EN
Newsletter
More
Newsletter
EN
Support JNS
News   Israel News

Performer displays PLO flag at London’s Royal Opera House

A cast member waved the flag on stage after the final performance of “Il trovatore,” sparking a scuffle as an official tried to intervene.

Jul. 20, 2025
JNS Staff

Performer displays PLO flag at London’s Royal Opera House

JNS original reporting, analysis and opinion pieces are available for republication. Articles not produced by JNS, as identified in the byline, are not eligible for republication.

We offer a limited trial license that allows publishers to republish up to three JNS articles, online or in print, at no cost. JNS retains any and all right, title and interest in all of its intellectual property and other rights.

To republish, copy the HTML using the button provided. This includes the JNS tracking pixel, all paragraph styling and hyperlinks, the author byline and clear credit to Jewish News Syndicate (JNS), all of which must be included in the republished article.

Images and video content are not included in the HTML code or article text, but you are authorized to use photographs from the following sources: Flash90, public domain, Creative Commons licensed images, and any photographs credited to JNS, provided that all applicable attribution and licensing conditions are observed.

If you’re interested in republishing JNS content on a regular basis, complete this form to get started.
The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, January 2025. Photo by Peter Dazeley/Getty Images.
The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, January 2025. Photo by Peter Dazeley/Getty Images.
( Jul. 20, 2025 / JNS )

A cast member at London’s Royal Opera House unfurled a PLO flag during the final curtain call of Giuseppe Verdi’s Il trovatore on Saturday night, prompting a brief scuffle with a venue official who attempted unsuccessfully to remove the flag.

The incident occurred at the end of the opera’s 11-show run.

Video footage from the audience captured the performer standing silently and displaying the flag while the audience applauded. Efforts by an official to confiscate the flag were resisted, with the artist holding on until the conclusion of the curtain call. Other performers stood nearby, some appearing startled as the situation unfolded behind them.

The Royal Ballet and Opera denounced the protest, calling it “completely inappropriate for a curtain call.”

A spokesperson said the act was “spontaneous and unauthorized” and emphasized it was not approved by management, noting the company’s commitment to political impartiality.

PLO flags have appeared regularly at anti-Israel protests amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The identity of the cast member remains unknown at this time.

Anti-Israel Bias Defense and Security
JNS Staff
JNS Staff JNS Staff
Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) is the fastest-growing news agency covering Israel and the Jewish world. We provide news briefs features opinions and analysis to 100 print newspapers and digital publications on a daily basis.
EXPLORE JNS
Death penalty Knesset
Israel News
Knesset passes law imposing death penalty on convicted Palestinian terrorists
Limor Son Har-Melech, who introduced the bill and whose husband was murdered in a 2003 terror attack, stated that the “historic law” means “whoever chooses to murder Jews because they are Jews forfeits their right to live.”
Mar. 30, 2026
Jessica Russak-Hoffman
Strait of Hormuz Iran Houthis
World News
Strait of Hormuz will open ‘one way or another,’ Rubio says
Either Iran “agrees to abide by international law, or a coalition of nations from around the world and the region will make sure that it’s open,” the U.S. secretary of state said.
Mar. 30, 2026
Vickie Paladino
U.S. News
NYC Council moves to quash subpoenas in Republican’s ‘anti-Muslim’ posts suit
Lawyers for the council said that Queens councilmember Vickie Paladino sought the subpoenas “with the sole purpose of creating a public spectacle.”
Mar. 30, 2026
Andrew Bernard
The Passover seder in Jerusalem. Credit: KKL-JNF Photo Archive.
Passover as a reminder of resilience, connection and hope
It appears as “a living educational framework—a connection between Jewish communities in Israel and abroad, and a reflection of the strength of these communities across generations.”
Mar. 30, 2026
Manischewitz
U.S. News
Amid war, Passover ‘food becomes more than food,’ Manischewitz says
“It becomes comfort, continuity and a way to feel connected to tradition and to one another at home,” Talia Sabag, of the Manischewitz parent company Kayko, told JNS.
Mar. 30, 2026
Jessica Russak-Hoffman, Menachem Wecker
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Yume Kitasei (to the right of the mayor), commissioner of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), announce on March 30, 2026, that the city’s first free, on-site child-care pilot program for municipal workers will open applications on April 30. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.
U.S. News
Mamdani condemns ‘any threat of political violence’ following alleged plot against anti-Israel activist
The mayor said the NYPD informed him of the alleged firebombing plot against Within Our Lifetime co-founder Nerdeen Kiswani a day after a New Jersey man was charged for the threat.
Mar. 30, 2026
United Hatzalah medics work near the Haifa oil refineries following rocket fire toward northern Israel, March 30, 2026. Credit: Courtesy of United Hatzalah.
JNS TV / Straight Up
Why Israel’s wartime resilience is reshaping the Iran conflict
Mar. 30, 2026
Daniel Seaman
THE COLUMN
Moshe Phillips. Credit: Courtesy.
Column
I grieve for thee, my brother Moshe
Moshe Phillips
Column
Israel’s sniveling classes are in the minority
Ruthie Blum