Protesters demand Madrid theatre cancel Batsheva Dance Company shows; performance goes ahead

Right · 2Around 200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside the Teatros del Canal in Madrid on Thursday 15 October 2026 to protest a performance by Israel's Batsheva Dance Company. 1 2 Right · 2Protesters carried Palestinian flags and a banner reading "Israel dances while it kills in Gaza"; GB News adds a second slogan, "Against the whitewashing of genocide". They demanded a boycott of the company and cancellation of its shows. 1 2 Right · 2Both outlets say some protesters shouted "murderers" and "shame on you" at audience members arriving; GB News attributes this to claims and says footage shows protesters gathering from around 7pm, an hour before the show. 1 2

Right · 2The performance went ahead as planned and, according to the Israeli embassy in Spain, ended with a standing ovation. Batsheva is performing Sadeh21, by choreographer Ohad Naharin, on 15, 16 and 17 October, and Spanish media reportedly say all three shows sold out. 1 2 Right · 2The demonstration was organised by the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement and pro-Palestinian groups. A BDS spokesman said the boycott targets the company as an institution used by the Israeli government as diplomatic strategy, not any particular artist, and the group says it wrote to theatre director Ruperto Merino weeks earlier. 1 2 Right · 1Merino rejected the demands, saying programming decisions are professional rather than political. The Jerusalem Post adds that he said the theatre would not censor works because of their creators' country of origin, and that the theatre's workers' committee opposed hosting the company. 1

Right · 1Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato took part in the protest, having earlier called for the shows to be cancelled, arguing that Russian companies were boycotted after the invasion of Ukraine while an Israeli company was invited. Actress Goizalde Núñez also joined, and filmmaker Javier Fesser criticised the public funding, per the Jerusalem Post. 1 Right · 2Both outlets report a video in which Duato described Hamas as a "liberation movement" and declined to call it terrorist. The Israeli embassy said on X that Duato was leading the boycott while supporting Hamas. The Jerusalem Post notes the academy bearing Duato's name posted a photo with Batsheva dancers, thanking them and calling for peace and artistic cooperation. 1 2 Right · 2Batsheva told El País it is not a political organisation, that its members hold differing views, and that it has called for a ceasefire, the release of hostages and an end to bloodshed in Gaza. It said it is used to protests and can handle them without confrontation. GB News notes it is state-funded; the Jerusalem Post says a spokesperson argued public funds belong to citizens, not the government. 1 2

Right · 1On Friday the Israeli embassy congratulated the company, saying the audience included the Community of Madrid's Minister of Culture and Israel's chargé d'affaires, with a full house and sold-out tickets for all three days. 2 Right · 1The Jerusalem Post places the protest in the context of an ADL study published on 1 October, "State of the Arts", which documents 65 incidents at 41 US locations where Jewish and Israeli performers faced protests, harassment or cancellations. 1