Barcelona vibrates this Wednesday with the solidarity concert for Palestine. The Palau Sant Jordi is completely full to host artists such as Amaia, Bad Gyal, Oques Grasses, Lluís Llach or Fermín Muguruza, among others. The concert is the culmination of an international campaign coordinated by ‘Act X Palestine’ to raise funds. Previously, the organizers have paid tribute to Hind Rajab, the five-year-old Palestinian girl murdered in Gaza two years ago and who shocked international public opinion. Rosalía has burst onto the stage by surprise to sing ‘La Perla’
The concert was preceded by several events, also at the Palau Sant Jordi, in which the Gazan performer and fixer Kayed Hammad participated, in conversation with the actor Eduard Fernández, and the football coach Pep Guardiola. Those attending the Palau Sant Jordi have been involved from the first minute with the music offered by a large line-up, which also includes Yeray Cortés, Morad, Guillem Gisbert and Mushka.
From the beginning, the public remains dedicated to a concert that is conceived as a great manifesto of support for the Palestinian people. Just a few hours before the entire poster became known, the organization had already posted the sold out to which the city has become accustomed due to the concerts of big stars.
In the end there was surprise. And the fat ones. The Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona vibrated this Thursday with the solidarity concert for Palestine, which featured the unexpected participation of Rosalía and the interpretation of one of her great songs of the moment: Perla. The Catalan performer, who has just published her album Lux, which also includes Amaia, Bad Gyal, Oques Grasses, Lluís Llach and Fermín Muguruza. The concert was the culmination of an international campaign coordinated by ‘Act X Palestine’ to raise funds for Gaza. Previously, the organizers had paid tribute to Hind Rajab, the five-year-old Palestinian girl murdered in Gaza two years ago and who shocked international public opinion.
The presence of the Catalan artist had not been announced, although there was speculation about her possible intervention after images of the interpreter in the city were published on social networks. His presence is also a clear message to those who had criticized his lukewarmness in political matters, in contrast to a few years ago, when he had no qualms about insulting Vox through his Twitter account. Beyond that controversy, his performance is the culmination of an international campaign that wanted to denounce the situation in Palestine and raise funds for its population.
In the afternoon, the beach of the Catalan capital had hosted a tribute to , a case that traveled half the world after spreading . On the anniversary of her death, around 200 people have gathered in front of the sea in an action organized by the social organization Avaaz, which has included the deployment of a canvas of about 1,000 square meters with the portrait of the minor and the presence of her mother, Wesam Hamada. According to the organization, the objective was to demand protection for Palestinian children and demand accountability, at a time when Hind’s story has also transcended the cultural sphere with the film, Oscar nominated.
On one of the few sunny days of the week, attendees gathered throughout the afternoon under slogans such as “Gaza is not alone” or “Boycott Israel.” To the sound of Palestinian music, a group of activists held the tarp (about 50 meters long by 20 wide) with the girl’s face for almost an hour, facing the Mediterranean. “We chose Barcelona because it is a representative city, which. In addition, Hind loved the sea and the Mediterranean, and we want to send a message to the other side,” explained Patricia López, spokesperson for Avaaz.
López insists that the tribute did not look only at Hind’s tragic past. “We are losing an answer for the rest of the Palestinian children. We are supposedly under a ceasefire that we know is not happening,” he stated. After the deployment of the tarp, Avaaz spokespersons and Hind’s mother spoke. The most content moment came when she recited a poem in English, later reproduced in Catalan, in which she thanked the support received and stressed that her daughter “was not just a girl, she was a testimony.” “I am not here to give a speech, I am the voice of the people who cannot shout. I am a representative of the entire Palestinian people,” he said. In the background, a dozen children held drawings of Palestinian children.
Among the participants there were diverse profiles and from different generations. Ana, who participates accompanied by her granddaughter Alba, summed up her motivation like this: “I’m up for anything that is in favor of Gaza.” Around them, several families followed the event while some children held drawings made by Palestinian minors.
Also participating in the event was , who has worked in more than 40 missions in Gaza. “We cannot forget the rest of the victims that still exist in Gaza,” he warned. Groom has reported having witnessed scenes of multiple corpses and has narrated different situations marked by shortages that, according to him, still persist. “Now we are in a supposed ceasefire, but there is still a lack of doctors, food and all kinds of basic resources,” he noted. His dream, he has declared, is that daily life returns for children: “We want their routine to be marked by the noise of leaving school and not by the noise of the bombs.”
The event closed with the intervention of Alex, an eight-year-old boy, who took the microphone to send a message to the adults: “Don’t stop talking about Palestine, about the boys and girls of Gaza. The difference between them and me is that we live in different countries.”
