Shawn Mendes has addressed the situation in Gaza publicly for the first time, calling for an end to the violence and encouraging fans to donate to humanitarian organisations.
In a statement, calling for Free Palestine, posted to Instagram on Thursday (Nov. 12), the singer wrote, “The senseless killing in Gaza must stop. The children and families in Palestine have suffered for far too long, and they need our help.”
Mendes said he has been “working on educating myself and learning as much as I can to understand where and how I can make a difference.” He encouraged followers to contribute to groups including the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, Watermelon Pictures and the Woven Futures Fund.
Mendes’ statement comes amid a string of high-profile moments involving musicians and the conflict, most notably the dispute surrounding Macklemore.
In September, Macklemore was removed from Ed Sheeran’s “Loop” tour after making pro-Palestine comments during a show at MetLife Stadium. According to Rolling Stone, Messina Touring Group, which promotes the U.S. leg of the tour, said venues hosting upcoming concerts had told it they would not permit the shows to go ahead with Macklemore on the lineup.
Macklemore alleged that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whose company owns Gillette Stadium, refused to let him perform at Sheeran’s shows there and encouraged other stadium owners…
