Macklemore urges audience to speak out on Gaza conflict at Wembley concert
During his Free Palestine tour stop at Wembley, Macklemore said remaining silent about the Gaza conflict was more uncomfortable than speaking out, and the concert raised funds for humanitarian aid.
US rapper Macklemore addressed the crowd at the OVO Arena Wembley on Friday, saying he could no longer stay silent about the conflict in Gaza. He described seeing reports of the situation as a turning point that made silence feel more uncomfortable than speaking out. > "I don’t believe that saying something is brave. I don’t believe that saying something is courageous. I believe that saying something is human," he said, adding that children in Gaza are "our children."
The performance was joined by singer Paloma Faith, who spoke about the value of every child's life and the difficulty of speaking publicly on the issue. > "It’s scary to be in the public eye and to come out and say and stand up at these things. But it’s not as scary as what would happen if we didn’t do it," Faith said.
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg also appeared, warning that attending benefit events or donating money alone would not end the occupation and calling for policy changes to address the situation. > "We can change all the hearts and minds in the world, but that has to be paired with actual policy change in a way that actually challenges our extremely violent status quo," she said.
Macklemore’s Free Palestine tour began in Dublin earlier this week and continued to Paris, featuring other artists such as Hozier, Kneecap, Aurora and DJ Habibeats. Proceeds from the concerts are earmarked for a range of organisations providing medical care, humanitarian assistance, education and advocacy for Palestinians, including Anera, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Heal Palestine, Medical Aid for Palestinians and UNRWA USA.