The Strokes end Coachella set with political video on CIA and Gaza
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The Strokes appeared to take aim at the US government during Coachella’s second weekend, ending their set with a politically charged video montage.
The American rock band wrapped up its main stage performance Saturday night with its 2016 song “Oblivius,” as screens behind them played images referencing CIA-backed regime change abroad, the death of Martin Luther King Jr. and bombings in Gaza and Iran.
The video depicted a number of world leaders who it claimed were overthrown by the CIA, including Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in 1953, Guatemalan President Jacobo Árbenz in 1954, Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba in 1961, Chilean President Salvador Allende in 1973, and Bolivian President Juan José Torres in 1976.
The montage featured a picture of King along with text that read, “U.S. Government found guilty of murder in civil case.”
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The Strokes capped off their second weekend Coachella performance with a politically charged video that appeared to target the US government and the CIA. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Coachella)
The statement appears to reference the 1999 case of King v. Jowers, in which the jury found that King’s assassination was the result of a conspiracy involving government agencies. A 2000 Justice Department review found no credible evidence that U.S. government agencies were involved in King’s assassination and rejected allegations of a broader conspiracy.
The video also featured images depicting slavery and Black Lives Matter protests, as well as foreign political figures such as Ecuadorian President Jaime Roldós and Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos, who both died in separate plane crashes in 1981. The text following the footage claimed that the CIA was “suspected” of involvement in the accidents.
The montage ended with images of US military attacks in Iran and Israeli attacks in Gaza. A clip of a collapsed building was shown, with text appearing above it that read: “More than 30 universities destroyed in Iran.”
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The video then cuts to the controlled demolition of a large building in Gaza, with the caption “Last standing university in Gaza” before cutting to black as a fighter jet is seen.
“Which side do you stand on?” in the band’s Coachella performance “Oblivius.” It includes a choir. It was the first time The Strokes performed the song since 2016 and the second time it was played in concert.
The Strokes’ performance, which took place on the main stage just before Justin Bieber’s headlining performance, was attended by thousands of festivalgoers and watched by a worldwide live audience tuning in via Coachella’s official YouTube stream.
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Members of the Strokes include Nick Valensi, Albert Hammond Jr., Fabrizio Moretti, Nikolai Fraiture and Julian Casablancas. (David Livingston/Getty Images)
After clips from the set went viral, they received mixed reactions from social media users; some praised The Strokes and expressed their opinion that the group would not be invited to Coachella again, while others criticized the political messages of the performance.
The band’s performance at Coachella weekend on April 11 did not include “Oblivius” or its video montage. But The Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas made a few thoughtless political statements onstage while joking about a potential military draft.
“Are you excited for the draft? Oh, wait, it’s not the NFL draft,” Casablancas said. Rolling stone.
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The Strokes appear to be performing during the second weekend of Coachella. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Coachella)
“Within six months, I think everyone who is eligible should enlist in the military,” he told the crowd. “I hope to lead one of the Coachella units. I’m sure it’s the sexiest unit in our proud military.”
There is currently no active military draft in the United States. The last time the United States directed a military draft was in 1972 during the Vietnam War. The active draft ended after six months.
Male citizens between the ages of 18-25 are required to register with the Selective Service System.
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Casablancas has previously expressed his political views in interviews and on stage, often criticizing US foreign policy and institutional power.
In a deleted Instagram post shared in November 2024, Casablancas shared that she decided not to vote in the US presidential election, which was won by President Donald Trump after defeating the Democratic candidate, former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Casablancas had previously expressed his political views. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Coachella)
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By the way to NME, Casablancas posted a photo with an “I protested” badge and referenced part of a conversation he had with his mother.
“As I told him, I’m thinking about my kids. 2 party is a joke… a terrible lie. The people we vote for are the military, the oil companies, and the banks and the media is their propaganda/entertainment wing and the way they’re baiting Bernie there’s little point in choosing between these puppets… They want you to think it’s important. Nothing will change this way but it needs to.”
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The Strokes, consisting of Julian Casablancas, Nick Valensi, Albert Hammond Jr., Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti, publicly supported U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders during the 2020 Democratic primaries.
The band will release their first album in six years, “Reality Awaits,” on June 26 and will embark on a worldwide tour planned to last throughout the summer and fall.
