Pro-Palestinian protest prompts scuffle onstage at Royal Opera House in London
Images posted on social media show what appears to be a member of the chorus holding the unfurled flag in front of his chest while the lead singers bask in the audience's applause. After a few moments, someone backstage attempts to grab the flag, but the performer holds onto the banner and snaps back into place.
Singers were taking their bows after the end of the opera by Giuseppe Verdi. Director Adele Thomas' production reinterprets the story of desire and an all-consuming curse, the opera said.
'The display of the flag was spontaneous and unauthorized action by the artist,'' the opera company said in a statement. 'It was not approved by the Royal Ballet & Opera and is not in line with our commitment to political impartiality.'
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