The Strokes Accuse CIA of Regime Changes at Coachella

The Strokes closed their set on the main stage of Coachella's second weekend Saturday night with a provocative video montage that accused the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency of orchestrating foreign regime changes and assassinations, linking historical interventions to recent military actions in the Middle East. The performance, held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, drew thousands of festivalgoers and viewers on the official livestream, marking a bold shift in the New York indie rock band's stage presence.

As the five-piece group performed "Oblivius," a track from their 2016 album The New Abnormal that they had not played live in a decade, massive LED screens behind the stage displayed the montage. The visuals began with images of world leaders, including Iran's Mohammad Mossadegh, Chile's Salvador Allende, Bolivia's Juan José Torres, Guatemala's Jacobo Árbenz, Panama's Omar Torrijos, Ecuador's Jaime Roldós Aguilera, and the Democratic Republic of Congo's Patrice Lumumba. Captions alleged CIA involvement in their overthrows or deaths, spanning events from the 1950s to the 1980s. The sequence also featured a photo of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.,...