Billy Joel performs with yellow star on his suit

In an apparent response to the neo-Nazi demonstrations in Charlottesville and elsewhere over the past weeks, singer-songwriter Billy Joel affixed a yellow star to his suit jacket for a performance at Madison Square Garden in New York on Monday.

Joel did not explain to the audience the exact significance of the symbol, which appeared on his jacket after he returned to the stage for an encore.

Billy Joel doing is encores at MSG on 8/21 wearing one Jewish Star on his breast and another on his back. He is a true hero. pic.twitter.com/M42f6P1f8J

— Eric Schultz (@EBS9291) August 22, 2017

Audience members used social media to comment on the incident, some speculating that it was a reference to the presence of Nazi flags on America’s streets, while others wondered if it might be a reaction to anti-Jewish sentiment among Muslims.