Coldplay halts concert in Athens after comedian attempts to rush stage with Israeli flag and falls

The man, who later identified himself as controversial Israeli comedian Guy Hochman, said he injured a rib in the stunt.

Chris Martin briefly halted a recent Coldplay concert in Greece after a man attempted to rush the stage at Athens Olympic Stadium and fell.

Footage from the event shared on TikTok shows an alarmed Martin alerting fellow bandmates and crew around him to "stop, stop, stop, stop" after a man draped in an Israeli flag attempted to climb onto the stage. It was unsuccessful, as the man immediately fell backwards without ever touching the platform and took some of the equipment down with him.

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A puppet singer named Angel Moon, created for Coldplay by Jim Henson's Creature Shop, is seen hitting a high note as Martin calls on the band to stop. Guitarist Jonny Buckland could also be seen running over to lend a helping hand, with Martin extending an arm down to help the man.

Reps for Coldplay had no comment on the incident when contacted by Entertainment Weekly.

The man has since identified himself as the controversial Israeli comedian Guy Hochman. Hochman, who chronicled the ordeal on Instagram, said, through a translation on Instagram, that he was not a fan of Coldplay ("don't know one of their songs"), but staged the "operation" with others amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. He wrote that they chanted "bring them home," referencing hostages held by Hamas. "Here I am making history," Hochman wrote, adding that he injured one of his ribs in the fall.

A former soldier turned internet personality, Hochman recently came under fire for performing a stand-up comedy show that contained racist jokes about Palestinians. A travel blog he uploaded earlier this year from the Gaza Strip, wherein he mocked destroyed Palestinian homes, also caused outrage across social media.

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The ordeal unfolded during the June 9 concert of Coldplay's Music of the Spheres World Tour, staged in support of their ninth studio album of the same name. The band recently announced that the first single from their upcoming tenth studio album Moon Music, titled "feelslikeimfallinginlove," will drop June 21.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.