Iran war: What is happening on day 52 of the US-Israeli conflict?
Tensions rise as US-Iran talks are set in Pakistan with a ceasefire deadline approaching.
Al Jazeera English1 min read
The Strokes use Coachella set to denounce US foreign intervention
TL;DR
The Strokes used their Coachella performance to criticize US foreign intervention, highlighting historical figures affected by CIA actions. Their set included a montage of leaders like Patrice Lumumba and Salvador Allende, emphasizing the consequences of US involvement in foreign politics.
Key points
- The Strokes criticized US foreign intervention at Coachella
- Their performance featured a montage of leaders affected by CIA actions
- Patrice Lumumba and Salvador Allende were among those highlighted
- The song 'Oblivius' was performed during the political statement
Mentioned in this story
Julian CasablancasPatrice LumumbaJacobo ÁrbenzJuan José TorresSalvador AllendeCIA
US band the Strokes have used their Coachella set to make a stark political statement against America’s history of foreign intervention and war in other countries, including Iran and Palestine.
At the end of their set at the second weekend of the California music festival, the band performed their 2016 song Oblivius in front of giant LED screens that showed a montage of world leaders whose death or ousting the CIA has either been a proven or suspected party in**,** as lead singer Julian Casablancas sang the lyrics: “What side you standing on?”
The montage showed Patrice Lumumba, the first democratically elected prime minister of the Congo, who was executed in 1961 by a Congolese firing squad with the backing of Belgian military. Lumumba was killed amid a separate CIA conspiracy to assassinate him due to the threat he posed to western control over Congo’s mineral resources, though it was Belgium that admitted “moral responsibility” and apologised for his murder in 2002.
The montage also showed Guatemalan president Jacobo Árbenz, who was overthrown in a CIA-engineered plot in 1954; and Bolivian president Juan José Torres, who was ousted in 1971 and then kidnapped and killed five years later.
Also shown was Chilean president Salvador Allende, who killed himself during the 1973 CIA-backed coup that toppled his socialist government and brought in the brutal military dictator Augusto Pinochet. Though some still believe the US also played a role in Allende’s death, a scientific autopsy in 2011 confirmed there was “absolutely no doubt” he died by his own hand.
Other leaders shown in the montage included Iran’s democratically elected prime minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, whose removal from power in 1953 was exposed as a CIA-orchestrated coup in declassified US documents in 2013; and Martin Luther King Jr, who was assasinated in 1968 after years of surveillance by both the FBI and the CIA. However, US government involvement in his killing has never been proven and a department of justice investigation in 2000 found no evidence of a conspiracy.
Q&A
What political statement did The Strokes make at Coachella?
The Strokes denounced US foreign intervention and highlighted historical figures impacted by CIA actions during their performance.
Which historical leaders were featured in The Strokes' Coachella montage?
The montage included Patrice Lumumba, Jacobo Árbenz, Juan José Torres, and Salvador Allende, all of whom were affected by US foreign policy.
What song did The Strokes perform to convey their message?
The Strokes performed their song 'Oblivius' while showcasing the montage of world leaders during their Coachella set.
How did the audience react to The Strokes' political message at Coachella?
The article does not specify the audience's reaction, but the performance was a clear political statement against US foreign intervention.
