"This Isn't a Comments Section": Pro-Palestine Protests Disrupt Regina Spektor Show in Portland

A Concert Turned Controversial

A Regina Spektor concert in Portland took an unexpected turn on Saturday night when some fans were escorted out of the venue, and others left due to a tense exchange over the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The incident occurred during her second show at Revolution Hall, following a similar event on Friday night.

Mandi Kercher attended the Saturday performance after her daughter had seen the show on Friday. She described the evening as initially calm, but the atmosphere changed around 45 minutes into the concert. A man near the stage shouted, “Free Palestine,” which led to his removal from the venue.

A video posted on YouTube captured the moment, showing the man yelling “Free Palestine” along with an expletive. In response, Spektor said, “You’re just yelling at a Jew.” The audience largely supported her, with many chanting “Am Yisrael Chai,” meaning “the people of Israel live.”

Spektor, a singer-songwriter who immigrated to the U.S. from the Soviet Union as a child, has been vocal about the conflict in Gaza. Following the October 7 attack by Hamas, she expressed strong opinions, stating that those protesting Israel’s actions were “aligning shoulder to shoulder with Hamas.”

After the first person was removed, Spektor thanked security, saying, “I really appreciate the security.” Despite the crowd's support, some continued to protest. Another man reportedly said, “You could say something. There’s a genocide happening,” before breaking a record and shouting “Free Palestine.” He was also escorted out, prompting Kercher to leave the venue. She said she felt she couldn’t stay and was the third person to exit.

Spektor addressed the situation in the video, saying, “I thought this was different than the internet. This is real life.” She added, “You can leave the show if you want. This is not an internet comments section. I know that you’re mistaking my show for a YouTube video.”

While most of the audience remained supportive, a woman could be heard saying, “I’m watching children dying and that hurts.” In response, Spektor said, “This is not the place for that conversation. I am a real person who came here to play music.” She encouraged anyone who wanted to leave to do so.

According to reports from Stereogum and The Portland Mercury, more people walked out of the show at that point. Spektor then shared her personal experience, saying, “I only speak English because I came from a country where people were treating Jews as other, and now I am being othered here and it sucks.”

Kercher said the incident changed her perception of Spektor. She criticized Spektor for not addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, referencing the well-documented mass starvation currently affecting the region. Kercher stated she would no longer recommend Spektor’s music or concerts and expressed frustration with Portland residents, saying, “you always hear that question of ‘What, what would you do?’ And now we know that people would just choose their comfort.”

Revolution Hall did not respond to requests for comment.

Lizzy Acker covers life and culture and writes the advice column Why Tho? Reach her at 503-221-8052, lacker@oregonian.com. ©2025 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit DISCOVER TREND. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.