The set was on Thursday, the first of a pair of shows Mr. Chappelle held at Boston’s TD Garden, and no jokes or commentary about the war had been planned, said the spokeswoman, Carla Sims.
Mr. Chappelle’s remarks were first reported by The Wall Street Journal, which said that some audience members had cheered Mr. Chappelle as he spoke about the conflict while others walked out.
“As a comedian and satirist, he has to navigate the complexities of competing truths, presenting perspectives that can be both thought-provoking and challenging,” Ms. Sims said of Mr. Chappelle.
After initially declining to engage, Mr. Chappelle, who has not hesitated to address controversial issues in recent years, raised concerns about the way a group of Harvard students had been treated after writing an anti-Israel letter.
At that point an audience member yelled that he should shut up, according to reports and the person who heard the recording.
Persons:
Dave Chappelle waded, Chappelle, Carla Sims, Chappelle’s, Mr, Ms, Sims, Israel
Organizations:
Wall Street, Los Angeles Times, Harvard
Locations:
Israel, Boston, Gaza