Footage has emerged of Chris Martin urgently calling for a halt to Coldplay’s show in Athens after a man attempted to rush the stage with what appeared to be an Israeli flag.
The band were performing as part of their ongoing Music of the Spheres tour on 9 June when a member of the audience was filmed trying to climb up onto the stage.
As he attempted to climb over the lighting rig, however, he fell to the ground, taking down several pieces of lighting equipment with him.
“Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop,” a visibly alarmed Martin, 47, shouted, gesturing to the crew around him.
As the gig was paused, guitarist Johnny Buckland and Martin rushed to the edge of the stage to peer down and try to assist the man.
The man in question appears to have been controversial Israeli internet personality Guy Hochman, who posted a photo of himself at the gig along with a caption claiming responsibility. He also shared a TikTok showing clips of him at the show.
Wearing a black baseball cap with the Israel flag wrapped around him, Hochman – who has served as an Israeli soldier and was condemned last year for making jokes about the killings of Palestinians in Gaza – said he was at the concert despite not being a fan.
Describing how he and fellow Israel supporters at the concert led chants of “bring them home”, in reference to the hostages being held by Hamas, Hochman said he later began to make his way towards the stage.
“He’s over the fence, looking good,” he narrated. “Going on stage one, looking good.”
Appearing to compare the “obstacles” around the stage to Auschwitz, he then reached the “final step” where he was “smelling Chris Martin’s sweat”.
“Here it comes, here I am making history. BOOM!” he wrote, appearing to claim that he broke a rib in the ensuing fall: “I have fallen. Right rib gone.”
The Independent has contacted Coldplay’s representatives for comment.
Hochman’s post received mixed reactions in the comments section, with several of his followers suggesting he would have “embarrassed” Israel had he succeeded in getting onto the stage.
“I’m glad it didn’t work out,” one person wrote. “It saved us a great embarrassment and maybe even increased antagonism from Chris.”
“Really unnecessary and would have made us [a joke] if you came to him with an Israeli flag,” another said. “Be healthy and glad you didn’t succeed.”
Hochman appeared to have been motivated by Martin’s previous expressions of support for Palestine amid Israel’s war on Gaza.
Performing in Tokyo last November, Martin told the audience there were “so many terrible things happening” and that he believed “most people on Earth are full of love and full of kindness, compassion”.
“I don’t want to judge anybody else for being themselves,” he said. “We don’t believe in oppression, or occupation, terrorism or genocide, nothing like that.”
Last month, Hochman claimed he was escorted away from the Eurovision Village in Malmo, Sweden, after waving the Israeli flag as the annual song contest got underway.
This year’s competition was the subject of mass controversy after Israel were allowed to participate, with many calling for a boycott due to its conflict with Palestine.
Israel has denied allegations that it is carrying out a genocide of Palestinians. The current number of reported deaths in Gaza stands at more than 32,000.
