(Credit: Jonathan Tichler / Met Opera)

The Metropolitan Opera has confirmed that a breach in security allowed two protesters to go onstage during the Nov. 21 performance of “Carmen.”

The New York Times is reporting that a recent interview with General Manager Peter Gelb revealed that one of the two guards assigned to sit at each end of the front row of the orchestra was not at his post, allowing the two protesters to make their way on the stage.

In the interview, Gelb did not say why the guard was absent, but did note that the guard was suspended pending further investigation.

According to an email sent to the Metropolitan Opera staff, Gelb said, “Going forward, we will make every effort to ensure that our stage is never breached again. We want everyone at the Met, whether performing or attending, to feel safe and comfortable inside the opera house.”

The Friday night protests saw four people, two on the stage and two from the orchestra. While there is no clear indication of what they were protesting, they were denouncing David Koch, who was a climate-change skeptic and funder of right-wing initiatives. The protests caused the company to pause the performance, and three of the protesters were arrested, while the fourth one escaped.

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