Charlotte Church: Welsh singer attends pro-Palestine rally in London weeks after ‘River to Sea’ music controversy | EUROtoday

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Charlotte Church was seen main a pro-Palestine rally in London this afternoon – two weeks after she drew criticism for singing an obvious antisemitic music.

The Welsh singer was on the entrance of the group of hundreds of protesters who’re marching from Hyde Park to the US embassy of their name for an instantaneous ceasefire in Gaza.

It’s going down simply hours after US president Joe Biden informed supporters in Philadelphia that securing a ceasefire was “looking tough” because the scenario worsens within the Middle East.

Ms Church, aged 38, was at present seen smiling and posing for footage beside banners on the march, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

Her look comes two weeks after she denied the music “from the River to the Sea” was antisemitic following criticism for singing a rendition at a pro-Palestine fundraising concern in Caerphilly in South Wales.

The music’s lyrics are a reference to the land between the Jordan River, which borders jap Israel, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west – and are controversial to many British Jews who see them as a name for Israel’s destruction.

Speaking at at present’s occasion, the singer stated she joined the protest to “show solidarity with the people of Palestine for all that they are suffering through”.

She added: “I am here today to call for an immediate ceasefire, to ask our government and governments all over the world to send as strong message as we possibly can. But a strong, a peaceful a loving message, that’s what every single march that I’ve been on for Palestine has been about.

“There’s been singing there’s been drumming, yes, there’s been emotion, but in the majority that emotion has been love, has been compassion because that’s why we’re all here.

“We’re all here because we cannot bear what we’re witnessing. We cannot bear to see civilians, children, women slaughtered. And so we are here because our hearts are so full of love for the Palestinian people.”

A big police presence is within the space with a counter protest stated to be additionally organised.

The protest, one in all many who have taken place within the capital at weekends, come as some are demanding harder motion in opposition to them with the price of policing them already reaching over £32m.

Robin Simcox, the federal government’s counter-extremism tsar, warned {that a} “permissive environment for radicalisation” was creating.

Writing in The Daily TelegraphMr Simcox stated: “We will not have become an authoritarian state if London is no longer permitted to be turned into a no-go zone for Jews every weekend.”

And Daniel Sugarman, the director of public affairs on the Board of Deputies of British Jews, stated: “Many British Jews do feel that the centre of London is unsafe for them during these marches. This includes Synagogues in the area.

Responding to Mr Simcox’s comments, a No 10 spokeswoman said: “The prime minister would want to make clear it is very important to take people who feel this way extremely seriously and he is acutely aware of the fear and distress that many people have been feeling and communities across our country.

“That’s why he’s very clear that some of the behaviour that we’ve seen in recent weeks is unacceptable and it doesn’t reflect the values that we have as a society.”

John Rees, an organiser from the Stop the War Coalition, rejected Mr Simcox’s claims, saying it was “irresponsible” of the federal government to whip up what he described as pointless concern in Britain’s Jewish neighborhood.

He stated: “Of course, if the government decides to whip up that kind of fear, then people are going to feel that, of course they are.”

A Stop The War Coalition assertion learn: “The situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate. Half a million people are facing starvation, acute food shortages are affecting the whole population and Israeli forces are carrying out massacres against those in queue for basic foodstuffs.

“Meanwhile, here in Britain the government has escalated its attacks on the pro-Palestine movement, with Rishi Sunak resorting to the ‘mob rule’ cliché and James Cleverly calling for an end to the recent wave of protests while floating clampdowns on the right to protest.

“The combination of these two crises mean there’s never been a more important time to continue our protesting. Make sure you’re on the streets as we march from Hyde Park Corner to the US Embassy in Nine Elms.”