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Take action: Tell Radiohead ‘Don’t endorse Israeli Apartheid’

June 23, 2017 at 12:45 pm

Rock band Radiohead perform live on 11 November 2012 [Lee Gwyn/Flickr]

A social media campaign has been launched to pressure the rock band Radiohead not to play in Israel next month.

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) has urged activists to tweet at the group using the hashtags #Glastonbury2017 and #LoveRadioheadHateApartheid to encourage the band to cancel their planned performance in Israel on 19 July.

The band, which is headlining at this week’s Glastonbury Festival, has been embroiled in negative publicity since the announcement of their European Tour which includes a final performance in Tel Aviv.

Read: Fans try to rock Radiohead’s conscience

PSC said the band’s decision to perform in Israel helps whitewash the occupying army’s oppression of Palestinians. It is urging the band to cancel the show and respect the call by Palestinian civil society to boycott Israel until it respects Palestinian rights.

Everyone is being urged to partake in the action to pressure Radiohead to support human rights and send them the message: “Don’t endorse apartheid!”

Suggested tweets include:

  • Don’t play apartheid Israel, @Radiohead. You don’t belong there. #Glastonbury2017 #LoveRadioheadHateApartheid
  • No one regrets boycotting Apartheid South Africa. @Radiohead, cancel Apartheid Israel. #Glastonbury2017 #LoveRadioheadHateApartheid
  • Don’t be a creep, @Radiohead. Respect the Palestinian picket line. Cancel Israel gig. #Glastonbury2017 #LoveRadioheadHateApartheid
  • It’s #NotOK, @Radiohead, to cross the Palestinian picket line. Cancel show in Apartheid Israel #OKNotOK #LoveRadioheadHateApartheid
  • .@Radiohead, if ur support 4 justice isn’t “mere rhetoric”,ull cancel gig in Apartheid Israel #Glastonbury2017 #LoveRadioheadHateApartheid
  • .@Radiohead, during apartheid South Africa, artists stayed away. Do the same with Israel. #Glastonbury2017 #LoveRadioheadHateApartheid

Earlier this month, Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke said boycott campaigns sow divisions that fuel right-wing leaders. “It’s such an extraordinary waste of energy. Energy that could be used in a more positive way.”

In response, award-winning film director Ken Loach said: “Thom’s is a simple choice: will he stand with the oppressor or the oppressed?”