GLOBAL celebrities including Benedict Cumberbatch, Riz Ahmed and journalist Mehdi Hasan gathered at London’s Wembley Arena on Sept 17 for the Together for Palestine charity concert, a sold-out event aimed at raising awareness and support for Palestinians amid Israel’s ongoing genocide on Gaza.
The Together for Palestine charity concert drew thousands of supporters at London’s Wembley Arena, where celebrities and activists called for global action in solidarity with Palestinians.
The 12,500-seat venue was sold out, with performances and speeches focused on the genocide in Gaza.
United Kingdom (UK) band Gorillaz led chants during their performance, declaring: “Free Gaza, free hearts, free minds. London makes some noise one time!".
Palestinian actor Motaz Malhees highlighted the suffering in Gaza, saying awards and recognition were meaningless compared to the ongoing violence.
“The light and the spotlight and the awards is something, but it's not nothing compared to kids, women, men being slaughtered on our screens every day. It's like you can't even celebrate these awards,” he said.
Other speakers criticised the lack of response from Western governments.
Francesca Albanese, United Nations (UN) special rapporteur, said recent findings left no doubt about the severity of the situation.
“So I think that (UN) commission has dealt the nail in the coffin for especially western pretense that its not genocide. So now it's about time to act. So the only late thing is the awakening of the conscience of western states,” she said.
The event, attended by international figures such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Riz Ahmed and journalist Mehdi Hasan, sought to combine entertainment with political advocacy in calling attention to the humanitarian emergency in Gaza.