A notable incident involving a stand-up comedian named Paul Corey has been causing a stir in international media. Corey, during a performance in London, reportedly used strong language against Israelis in his audience and subsequently had them removed from the venue. This shocking act was allegedly due to their refusal to applaud for the Palestinian flag. The incident, which took place at the Soho Theater in front of approximately 200 individuals, is now potentially being examined by the police for further investigation.
Providing insight into the shocking event, the MailOnline website shared a first-hand account from Yahav Eitan, an Israeli living in London. Eitan was celebrating his birthday with a friend by attending Corey’s show. He described the performance as “strange,” but noted that everything proceeded normally until the comedian brought out the Ukrainian flag followed by the Palestinian flag. The comedian then demanded the audience to cheer and applaud.
“Many of the people stood up and applauded,” said Eitan, “but my friends and I sat quietly and did not protest. I didn’t intend to make an issue of it, I just didn’t enjoy that part.”
Upon noticing that Eitan and his friend were not participating in the applause, Corey confronted them. Eitan recounted the experience, stating that Corey asked him if he was enjoying the show to which he replied that he had been up until that point. This triggered Corey to shout, “I’m from Belfast. I know all about ceasefires. Ceasefire now!” Following this, Eitan claimed that Corey demanded they leave the theater, calling them “trash” and shouting for them to get out of his show.
“Unfortunately, with the whole audience still inside, the only way out was through the stage,” Eitan explained. “As we approached the stage, Corey shouted, ‘cease fire now, free Palestine’, while attempting to incite the crowd. I was afraid he would become physically aggressive as he continued to curse and shout. Our main fear was that the audience would turn against us, and we just wanted to get out of there.” After Eitan and his friend left the venue, Corey reportedly addressed the crowd saying, “I might get in trouble for this.”
In response to this incident, the Soho Theater issued a statement: “We are sorry for the incident that caused uproar and harm among our audience. We take it very seriously and are checking the details of what happened thoroughly, sensitively and as quickly as possible. It is important to us that our theater be a welcoming place for everyone.”
