Enter Shikari, the St Albans band, took a strong stance in solidarity with Palestine during their recent gig at the Wembley Arena on February 17, 2022. The band had just wrapped their massive UK arena tour, and during the concert’s conclusion, frontman Rou Reynolds delivered an impassioned speech. Reynolds began by acknowledging that while they enjoyed that moment, they could not ignore the fact that a government and country, “lost in nationalistic and religious fervour,” were bombing Palestinian children to pieces.
Reynolds expressed his strong support for activists targeting Israeli weapons manufacturing factories and investment banks bankrolling genocide. The band has been advocating for the freedom of Palestine and Gaza for 15 years, and Reynolds hoped that Palestine would still exist when this nightmare ended. He urged the crowd to cherish the human connection, love, safety, and community they felt that night.
Currently, the death toll of Palestinians in Gaza amounts to 28,775, while around 1,410 Israelis have been killed. After the October 7 attacks, some 100 Israeli hostages remain in Hamas captivity. Many Palestinian supporters implore Israel not to send ground forces into Rafah, where approximately 1.5 million people are living. They fear that there are few places other than this Egyptian border, where people can seek refuge. Additionally, tens of thousands of people protested in London on the same day against the conflict in Palestine.
Enter Shikari has been vocal about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the past. Their 2012 album, A Flash Flood of Colour, specifically mentions phosphorous bombs used by Israel on Palestinians in the song Stalemate. They have signed an open letter for ceasefire last year, along with Architects, The Last Dinner Party, and others. Other artists have taken a stance in solidarity with Palestine, including IDLES, who did the same at their ‘Tangk’ launch in Brixton
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