Glastonbury 2025: Nadine Shah reads open-letter in support of Palestine Action
While performing on the Other Stage at Glastonbury Festival, Nadine Shah made a bold speech about the importance of activism and the need for free political protest. The alternative musician from Whitburn read an open-letter in support of Palestine Action.
Addressing the sun-baked crowd at Worthy Farm, Shah explained that she’s fine with having a reputation as “this kind of earnest, fucking loudmouth, outspoken women” before saying, “I just don’t like seeing people being killed.” Shah continued: “I think protest and demonstration are incredibly important, and are a basic human right.”
Her comments followed the festival’s swift condemnation of Bob Vylan after the punk duo controversially chanted “death to the IDF” during their set prior to Kneecap’s untelevised performance yesterday.
The singer then explained that Artists for Palestine UK have given her permission to read their open letter in support of Palestine Action, which was recently proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK government. Shah called Palestine Action “an incredible group” and also stressed that she’s “a pacifist and not a violent person”.
The letter begins: “Palestine Action is intervening to stop a genocide, it is acting to save life. We deplore the government’s decision to proscribe it, labelling non-violent direct action as terrorism is an abuse of language and an attack on democracy.”
It then continues, “The real threat to the life of the nation comes not of Palestine Action but from the Home Secretary’s efforts to ban it. We call on the government to withdraw its proscription of Palestine Action and to stop arming Israel.”
Shah continued: “If I read this out after July 4th, I could potentially be prosecuted for that. Thank you, Glastonbury.”
Meanwhile, throughout her set, Shah displayed cartoon images of Keir Starmer, Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu enjoying cocktails on a beach as destruction unfurls behind them. As of yet, there has been no official response to Shah’s set.
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