Protests Erupt at jerry Seinfeld โฃShow in Eugene Overโ Comedian’s Israel Support
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Eugene, Oregon – A sold-out performance by comedian Jerry seinfeld at the Hultโค Center on Friday, Augustโฃ 15, was met with demonstrations from local activists critical of his vocal support for Israel. Approximately 30 to 40 protesters gathered outside the venue โprior โto the โข7 p.m.show, voicing theirโฃ opposition to Seinfeld’s โขpublic statementsโ regarding the conflict in Gaza and Palestine.
Background of the Protest
The demonstration wasโค initiated by Eugene resident Steve Dear, who expressed strong disapproval of Seinfeld’s views. “I think the โฃcity, which owns the Hult Center, โฃand the Hult Center should have nothing to โฃdoโฃ with someone like Jerry Seinfeld. He should have been canceled,” Dear stated, adding that he hadโฃ previously attended Seinfeld’s performances on several occasions.
City officialsโฃ clarified that the Hult center operates as a rental facility and โขdoes not base booking decisions on political viewpoints. Benjamin Klipfel, from the city’s Library, Recreation and Cultural Services Department, explained, “Anybody who meets our rental โpolicies is actually allowed to rent the facility as it’s a publicly open space.” He emphasized the city’s commitmentโ to โขproviding public โฃaccess to programs andโข respecting diverse perspectives.
Seinfeld’s Controversial Stance
The protests stem from Seinfeld’s consistent advocacy for Israel, particularly โin the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-ledโ attack and the subsequent Israeli military responseโฃ in gaza.Seinfeld’s past actions have drawn criticism, including a 2018โข visit to Caliber 3,โข an Israeli โคcounterterrorismโ training camp. He also โคvisited a kibbutz near the Gaza border in the months following the October 7th attacksโ to express solidarity with those affected by the violence .
Did You Know? The concept of “public square” – a space โfor open dialog and debate โ- is โขrooted in ancient โขGreek โขtraditions andโค remains a cornerstone of democratic โขsocieties.
Seinfeld’s position has sparkedโฃ protests at other โevents. Inโค May โค2024, students โat Duke โขUniversity walked out during โhis commencement speech,โ and a similar disruption occurred during a performance in โNorfolk, Virginia. More recently, Seinfeld engaged in public confrontations with individuals expressing pro-Palestinian views, responding with dismissive remarks in February and may of 2025 , .
Demonstration Details
Outside theโ Hult Center, protesters directly engaged with attendees, sharing information about Seinfeld’s views and urging them to reconsider their support. The Willamette Solidarity Singers performed anti-war songs, โขand one protester symbolically lay covered in a white โขsheet โคto represent casualtiesโ of the conflict. A flyer โคcirculated among attendees questioned whether supporting Seinfeld aligned with endorsing his political stance.
Pro Tip: when engaging in peaceful protest,โค it’s crucial to understandโ and respect local ordinances regarding permits, noise levels, and public assembly.
Witnesses reported โboth respectful conversationsโ and heated exchangesโ between protesters and attendees. Diana Bilovsky, a 77-year-old protester, allegedโค she was physically jostled by an โattendee while displaying a Palestinian flag. As Seinfeld’s performance began, protesters concluded with a closing circle and chants.