SZA is the latest superstar to express solidarity with the people of Palestine, who have been in a bloody state of conflict with Israel over the past six months.
The Top Dawg Entertainment singer’s international SOS Tour passed through New Zealand for a three nights at Aukland’s Spark Arena this month. During the final performance on Tuesday (April 16), which comprised career-spanning fan favorites, she took a moment to voice her support for the thousands of people who have suffered as a result of the ongoing violence in Gaza.
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In a fan-recorded TikTok video from the concert, the 34-year-old can be seen pointing to someone in the crowd and declaring, “Free Palestine!”
Watch the crowd erupt as she takes a stance on the issue:
@i0vejjk sza says no to g3n0cid3! free falastin 🇵🇸🤍 #fyp#auckland#nz#sza#szasos#szasostour#freepalestine
Tensions in the region have been at an all-time high ever since Hamas launched an attack in Israel back in October that claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians. Since then, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have endlessly unleashed a series of onslaughts on the occupied territory.
According to TIME, the strip’s death toll surpassed 30,000 last month as its living conditions continue to deteriorate.
Most recently, Tyler, The Creator wore a pin of the Palestinian flag during his headlining set at weekend one of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Last year, redveil used his set at the Odd Future alum’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. At the end of his performance, the giant screen behind him displayed a lengthy list of names of all the children who have suffered as a result of the war.
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“Behind me is a list of names of Palestinians that’s been killed in Gaza since October 7,” he explained. “Nobody on this fuckin’ list made it to the age of four. Not one.”
According to World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, a child was being killed every 10 minutes in Gaza at the time.
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“It’s not complicated — don’t let nobody tell you that shit,” the 19-year-old rapper said, encouraging his crowd to take action against what many have deemed a genocide. “So listen, I’ma give you something to do, alright? I know I just presented y’all with emotion, y’all wanna do some shit with it.”
He then shared a link to ceasefiretoday.com, adding: “Go to this fuckin’ website right now. Call your reps. Demand a fuckin’ ceasefire.”
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Prior to leaving the stage, he even led the crowd in a “Free Palestine” chant. Soon after, he shared the sequence on social media and called it the “most important part of my set yesterday.”
The Weeknd, Dave, Kid Cudi, Macklemore and 40 are some of the other notable figures in Hip Hop and R&B who have expressed solidarity with the Palestinian cause in recent months.
