Oh no! Dave Chappelle reportedly sparred with a crowd at a recent show in Boston and had fans walk out on him after he called out Israel’s “war crimes” in Gaza amid the current conflict in the Middle East.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the 50-year-old comedian and actor aired out his grievances regarding the Israel-Gaza conflict while performing at the TD Garden Arena in Beantown on Thursday evening (October 19). Reportedly, Chappelle brought up the conflict while speaking on reports of students losing their job offers for supporting Palestinians. He allegedly said they shouldn’t be condemned for showing support.
After that, it was then reported that an audience member did not like what Chappelle said and told him to shut up, which drew an alleged emotional response from the comedian, who then condemned Hamas’ attacks on October 7th, but also slammed Israel’s bombing of Gaza.
Per the WSJ, the comedian began criticizing the Israeli government for cutting off water and other basic necessities and humanitarian aid to Gaza. Attendees also claimed that the comedian then went on to accuse Israel of also killing innocent people.
Attendees claimed that some of the audience members applauded and cheered on Chappelle, shouting, “Free Palestine,” while others opposed his stance and yelled out, “What about Hamas?” WSJ reports that at that moment, several people in the crowd got up from their seats and walked out on Chappelle. Reportedly, some audience members later took to social media, claiming Chappelle’s words “made them feel unsafe.”
One person wrote, “The audience was cheering Chappelle on during his tirade. I was sick. We were sick. I turned to my friends and wife and said I think it is time to go. We walked out and met up with many other Jews leaving the show. Never in my life have I felt so unsafe and so fearful of what I was witnessing.”
Reportedly, toward the end of his show in Boston, Chappelle again pointed out that there are war crimes ongoing with both sets of people, and added that the United States government was also guilty of aiding in the slaughter of innocent civilians, including tons of women and children. He then ended this alleged rant by pointing out that two wrongs don’t make a right.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail reports that a spokesperson for Chappelle asserted that he was not in Boston on Thursday evening, despite audience members coming forward with reports and comments, and despite the event being widely advertised and without any indications of being canceled.
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