Rachel Accurso, the children’s entertainer behind the popular kid’s YouTube show Ms. Rachel, has promised a $1 million donation to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund — matching musician Macklemore’s own $1 million pledge after he was forced off of Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour for his statements in support of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and called for a “free Palestine.”
“I will match Macklemore’s donation and I invite every wealthy white celebrity to match it and speak out against the genocide in Gaza,” Accurso wrote on Instagram Thursday. “Over 20,000 precious Palestinian children have been killed and children continue to be killed every day. We have a moral obligation to use our privilege and platforms to protect children and human rights.”
Macklemore announced his donation in the midst of the ongoing firestorm surrounding his removal from the Loop Tour. The “Same Love” performer said he will donate $1 million of his earnings from the tour to six organisations dedicated to Palestinian aid: the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, the United Nations Relief Work Agency USA, and Anera. He announced the news on Wednesday, aiming to draw attention back to Palestinians in Gaza “who are still being killed, still living under military occupation, and still fighting for their freedom.”
“Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting,” he wrote. “A Palestinian life is no less valuable than any other life on this earth.”
View this post on InstagramLove Music?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in Australian/New Zealand music and globally.
Mackelmore’s removal from the tour has dominated the news cycle for days. He opened for Sheeran at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on Sept. 4 and 5. On the first night, Mackelmore yelled “Free Palestine” on stage and spoke at length about the devastation and death of innocent people in Gaza. He was scheduled to perform at eight more shows in support of Sheeran. Instead, he said he had been removed from the tour because of his pro-Palestinian views and that Sheeran was pressured by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who refused to let Macklemore perform at Gillette. (Kraft confirmed via statement to Rolling Stone that he refused to let Macklemore perform. The Wall Street Journal confirmed Thursday that he pressured other stadium and venue owners to do the same.)
In a public statement, Sheeran said he attempted to calm stadium owners but was forced to choose between removing Macklemore or having the rest of the tour canceled. “There is a reason I do not use my professional platform for politics — my audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds,” Sheeran added. “Those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum. I respect Macklemore’s strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes. However, there is room for multiple approaches to the same end: peace.”
All of the additional supporting acts for Sheeran tour, including Finneas, pop singer Lukas Graham, folk band Beoga, and singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe have all dropped from Sheeran’s tour over the controversy — citing their belief in a Free Palestine and their apprehension at artist suppression. But Accurso has been a continually loud voice through the controversy, calling on Sheeran and other celebs to use their public platforms to help support the Palestinian people.
Accurso has a long history of activism surrounding children’s rights, including criticism of President Donald Trump’s ongoing immigration policy of family separation and fundraising efforts for children impacted by Sudan’s ongoing famine. Speaking to Rolling Stone earlier this month, Accurso said that backlash against her Gaza activism won’t keep her from speaking out.
“‘You’re gonna lose this partnership. You’re gonna lose views.’ That doesn’t faze me because the kids gave me the platform. I’m going to stand with them no matter what,” she said. “People on the ground in Gaza are risking their lives all the time to help kids. I can do it from Manhattan.”
From Rolling Stone US
