Multiple acts drop out of Jerry Seinfeld-headlined festival in Portugal

Multiple acts participating in a comedy festival in Portugal have announced that they are no longer taking the stage.

Actor Inês Aires Pereira announced on Saturday that her show Namastê was being removed from the inaugural Lisbon International Humour Festival lineup, per The Hollywood Reporter.

She explained on social media that, "One of the names insistently defends ideas and acts that I consider indefensible. We cannot relativise or normalise a genocide." Her statement did not identify a particular act.

Comedy duo Cebola Mol, made up of Eduardo Madeira and Filipe Homem Fonseca, also announced that they would no longer be performing at the festival.

"We will celebrate justice, freedom and joy with you on another occasion," they wrote on Instagram, sharing an image of themselves and a watermelon, which is recognised as an unofficial symbol for Palestinian solidarity.

Other acts to withdraw from the festival include Tributo Pop, Conjunto Cuca Monga, comedian Pedro Tochas and visual artist Vhils.

The first edition of the Lisbon International Humour Festival will take place from 29 October to 1 November, with Jerry Seinfeld headlining.

The comedian has openly supported Israel amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.

Seinfeld recently received backlash for comments he made last year while appearing at a Duke University event, when he compared the Free Palestine movement to the Ku Klux Klan.

"Free Palestine is, to me, just, you're free to say you don't like Jews," Seinfeld told the student newspaper.

"Just say you don't like Jews. By saying 'Free Palestine', you're not admitting what you really think. So it's actually, compared to the Ku Klux Klan, I'm thinking the Klan is actually a little better here because they can come right out and say, 'We don't like Blacks, we don't like Jews.' OK, that's honest."