They stormed the stage of the National Philharmonic in the middle of the concert. The conductor did not stop his work, he pulled out the banner

Climate activists are trying to draw attention to important demands for the world in increasingly extreme ways. Protests in front of corporations or on the occasion of speeches by people polluting the environment (e.g. Taylor Swift traveling by private jet or Prince Harry) are rare and have probably become commonplace. Activists are increasingly targeting art as a target of attack. , they invade the stages and interrupt the speeches. This was the fate of the symphony orchestra conducted by maestro Antoni Wit at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw last weekend.

Activists stormed the stage of the National Philharmonic

In the middle of Antoni Wit’s anniversary concert on March 3, two people burst onto the stage right behind the conductor leading the orchestra. They failed to disturb the musicians’ performance. They unfurled a banner and then tried to shout over the symphony orchestra in the middle of Mozart’s “Coronation Mass” in C major. The task was not easy, because the piece was just approaching its climax. The conductor didn’t make it any easier either, as, without interrupting his leadership of the orchestra, he strategically reached for the unrolled material with his hand and snatched it from those holding it, throwing it in front of him. People deprived of the banner tried not only to shout over the orchestra, but also the audience, which applauded the conductor.

Activists demanded “a radical increase in investment in public transport and cheap tickets.” They shouted that “this show can’t go on any longer.” Their protest was interrupted by security.

Although the demands are right, there is no point in looking for support for the campaign of the “Last Generation” organization:

You are struggling to communicate, great. It’s a pity that you tried to destroy a concert summarizing the 60th anniversary of the work of an outstanding Polish maestro, but how can you possibly know what such an achievement in life and such an achievement means?

Appeals can be expressed in a more civilized way. Moving away from who is right, this is simply behavior that will alienate other people from supporting your cause. You have harmed yourselves. Next time, it’s better to stand at the exit of the philharmonic hall.

I would understand if it was, for example, lying down on the runway. Ruining the holidays of thousands of Polish tourists eager for cheap last-minute flights at all costs. Even disrupting a religious event in Poland would be courageous, because you have to take into account the legal consequences. However, hardly anyone listens to high culture, and in this case classical music. There is no one behind high culture – you can trample on the work of specific people as much as you want without any consequences and no one will care.

Representatives of the Last Generation organization respond to some comments on social media. They justify the attempt to interrupt the concert as follows:

The climate crisis is killing people today and threatening any sustainable future for humanity. Continuing to invest in fossil fuels and high-emission sectors knowing about the crisis is genocidal. We have to stop them now. This means that we have to sound the alarm all the time, even when it is not pleasant and may prevent someone from experiencing culture. As our observers rightly noticed in the comments, the music on the Titanic also played until the end.