Singer Charlotte Church Says Ceasefire Protests ‘Really Not Radical’, Blasts ‘Scary’ Rishi Sunak Speech
Welsh singer Charlotte Church defended “peaceful” pro-Gaza ceasefire demonstrations and ripped Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for “talking in really scary ways about what these protests are.”
Speaking to voice.wales reporter Ka Long Tung from a demonstration over the weekend, Church said: “It’s really wonderful to be in solidarity with so many people who care so much, who are really having their hearts broken about what’s going on in Palestine.”
She continued: “I think it’s really important at a time when our Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is talking in really scary ways about what these protests are.”
On Friday, Sunak made an impromptu speech about the threat of extremism in the UK, specifically referencing the pro-Palestine and pro-ceasefire demonstrations that have taken place across the country since the Israeli military campaign in Gaza began, following Hamas attack on Oct. 7.
Church countered and explained: “My experience of [the protests], thus far, every event that I’ve been to to do with Palestine has always been really peaceful, has always been like a lot of singing and yeah, just lots of, you know, it’s really peaceful people trying to put pressure on our governments, on our world governments to have a ceasefire. This is really not radical. We’re saying, please stop dropping bombs on children.”
Church has used her platform in recent months to advocate for a ceasefire and for the Palestinian people in Gaza.
Last week the singer found herself at the center of a storm of controversy after leading a rendition of the pro-Palestinian chant “From the River to the Sea” at a charity concert. The chant, which references the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, has been criticised by some, including the Campaign Against Antisemitism, as being antisemitic and advocating for the destruction of Israel.
The concert, held at the Bedwas Workmen’s Hall near Caerphilly, aimed to raise funds for the Middle East Children’s Alliance, a charity supporting children in Gaza. Church, leading a choir of around 100 people, performed the song as part of the event.
In response to the backlash, Church took to Instagram Live to defend herself, and told viewers: “Just to clarify my intentions there, I am in no way antisemitic. I am fighting for the liberation of all people. I have a deep heart for all religions and all difference.”
She added at the time: “Unfortunately, the powers that be can’t have such a powerful symbol of resistance. I stand by everything that we sang on Saturday, it was really beautiful.”
Church further explained that the chant, in her interpretation, calls for peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians.
Calls for ceasefire have intensified following the increasingly dire humanitarian situation on the ground in Gaza, with reports that dozens of children are now dying of starvation. The growing death toll counts at least 30,000 Gazans killed, a figure provided by the Hamas-run health ministry. The statistics have been described as trustworthy by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) regional emergency director Richard Brennan in the absence of on-the-ground international media sources, who have been banned from entering the warzone by Israel.
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