Sam Fender and The Libertines sign letter calling for ceasefire in Gaza
Following the worldwide plea for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza, a number of prominent musicians, including Sam Fender and The Libertines, have supported the ‘Music For A Ceasefire’ initiative.
The public letter, in collaboration with the Peace & Justice Project, seeks to rally artists and performers to urge the UK and US governments to immediately call for a ceasefire. This effort comes in response to the hesitation shown by Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden in taking this action.
Fender, who has previously been outspoken about the present Conservative government, has endorsed the letter, along with The Libertines, Fontaines D.C., Big Zuu, Becky Hill, and Paloma Faith. In total, over 500 figures have added their names to the open letter, with more artists having been urged to express their support.
Samuel Sweek, the ‘Music For A Ceasefire’ convener, said: “For decades, music and the arts have been instrumental in uniting people for the cause of peace. That is why we are launching the ‘Music For A Ceasefire’ open letter, calling on world leaders to support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to end the violence and destruction that has brutally taken the lives of over 11,000 innocent people.
“Whilst we must all unequivocally condemn the acts of terror committed by Hamas, the lack of condemnation of the collective punishment of the Palestinian people from world leaders is unforgivable.
“There can never be any justification for the systematic slaughter of an entire population and we are demanding the UK and US governments play their part in bringing about lasting peace to the region by calling for an end to the violence, hostage releases and an end to the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine.”
Jeremy Corbyn MP, who founded the Peace & Justice Project in 2021, added: “How many more innocent men, women and children must die before political leaders listen to our global movement for peace?”
“I condemn the targeting of all civilian life. That includes the deplorable acts of terror by Hamas against Israeli civilians – and that includes acts of terror by the Israeli government against Palestinian civilians. More than 11,000 people in Gaza have now been killed, almost half of whom are children. Thousands more may be trapped under rubble. Over 1.5 million Palestinians have been displaced. Without a peaceful and political solution, this cycle of violence will go on and on,” he continued.
The politician concluded: “Every day, every hour and every minute that the bombing is allowed to continue, we lose more of our common humanity. But all around the world, we are seeing more and more people join the calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Music, peace and solidarity are universal languages, and the world’s artistic and creative community are using their voices to call for lasting peace. Our politicians must listen.”
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