Jerry Seinfeld heckled by pro-Palestinian protesters at Melbourne comedy show
Legendary comedian Jerry Seinfeld sent fans into a fit of laughter at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday night after shutting down pro-Palestinian hecklers.
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Jerry Seinfeld used a footy analogy to clap back at protestors who disrupted his show at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday night.
Jeering erupted 55 minutes into Seinfeld’s set along with chants of “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free”, causing the comedy legend to respond: “Oh, you’re back. The protesters are back! I missed you.”
The crowd sided with Seinfeld and booed the demonstrators.
“You’re not doing well,” Seinfeld said. “So hard for you.”
“Listen, you and I are in the same business,” Seinfeld added. “Our business is to get people to see things the way we see it. The problem is, you’re in the wrong place. Do you hear how well I’m doing?”
Seinfeld then played to the hometown crowd by referencing footy umpires.
“If I went to an Australian rules rugby game and I told this guy,” Seinfeld said, imitating the umpire signal for a goal, “if I said to this guy, ‘I’m going to do my comedy act here,’ I would get that same reaction. I would get kicked out on my ass because that’s not where I belong.”
Seinfeld continued: “I think you need to go back and tell whoever’s running your organisation, ‘We just gave more money to a Jew.’ That cannot be a good plan for you. That’s not what you want. That’s the whole problem. You have to come up with a better plan.”
Later, Seinfeld noted the demonstrators sat through most of his set before their loud protest. He imagined the agitators were thinking, “Let’s hear one more bit.”
Elsewhere, Seinfeld riffed on marriage, family life, fatherhood, golf, TV streaming, the Titanic submersible, the origins of almond milk, and prostate checks.
He also invited the crowd to take pictures and film his performance. “Some comedians get nervous,” Seinfeld said. “I don’t care. I choose to enjoy the dumbness of your excitement.”
Thirteen protesters rally before show
Before the show about 13 protesters gathered outside with signs that said “Zionists, pedos aren’t funny” and “f – k Jerry Seinfeld”.
But the group, who were urged by prominent pro-Palestine groups to hold a snap rally, quickly grew bored and left, leaving just a single activist holding a sign that read “Boycott Israel, Boycott Seinfeld, Say no to genocide”.
The lone wolf was seen arguing and fighting with attendees about their support of Israel and at one stage yelled: “I stand with Hamas”.
One man who was getting checked through security fought back, saying, “Why don’t you go to Gaza?”
Another man kicked the protester’s basket and yelled “f – k you”.
Police heavily outweighed the amount of protesters throughout the night, with more than a dozen securing both entrances of the arena.
One fan who attended Seinfeld’s first show said it was smooth sailing.
“We had a really awesome time,” they said.
“We didn’t hear any issues or heckling.”
The Jewish comedian was spotted walking near parliament station in the CBD on Saturday morning.
He was wearing a navy cap, jumper, jeans and Nike runners.
A Victoria Police spokesperson said officers will be patrolling the arena this weekend.
“As with all major events, event-goers can expect to see a visible police presence to ensure public safety on the weekend,” they said.
Free Palestine Melbourne member Michael Shaik said while the group was not involved in the action, they “wholeheartedly support” it.
“In principle we support any nonviolent legal protest by other pro-Palestinian groups and individuals in Melbourne,” he said.
“While Free Palestine Melbourne respects his right to express his views, we also fully support those who are protesting against him.
“Our objective is to encourage the development of a broadly based grassroots anti-apartheid movement throughout Melbourne.”
Disruption follows similar scenes in Sydney
The disruption on Saturday night in Melbourne, comes days after Seinfeld was confronted by pro-Palestinian protesters at two separate gigs in Sydney.
At his gig at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on Sunday, Seinfeld was heckled by a man who chanted: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.
Jerry Seinfeld Heckler at ICC 18 June 2024 Sydney pic.twitter.com/7aJ7tKyQjx
— Jake Louis (@JakeAntoun) June 18, 2024
He shot back at the protester, saying, “We have a genius, ladies and gentlemen. He solved the Middle East. He solved it.”
“It’s the Jewish comedians, that’s who we have to get – they’re the ones doing everything!” Seinfeld said at the time.
“They’re going to start punching you in about three seconds so I would try to get all of your genius out so we can all learn from you. It’s a comedy show, you moron, get out of here.”
The man was removed from the venue by security.
Video from the comedian’s Tuesday performance at the ICC Sydney Theatre also showed two men yelling “shame on you” at Seinfeld, before calling him a “hack” and a “fraud”.
The comedian snapped back at the protesters, before they were removed by security.
“You have strong political feelings but you don’t know where to say them,” he said.
“You think that it’s ruining the night … it doesn’t affect me … all these people, you’re ruining their night.”
Seinfeld made headlines last month when he made a speech at Duke University in North Carolina, triggering walkouts from students.
The comedian visited Israel following the October 7 terrorist attacks and has expressed support since.
It comes after the office of Federal Labor MP Josh Burns was destroyed on Wednesday morning.
Vandals threw rocks through the building’s glass exterior, lit two fires and wrote the phrase “Zionism is fascism” on his electorate office.
Seinfeld performs his third and final show at Rod Laver Arena on Sunday.
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