English Teacher‘s Lily Fontaine delivered a speech addressing the ongoing conflict in Gaza during London’s Wide Awake festival. See it below.
It comes as the UN said on Friday (May 23) that Gaza was in the “cruellest phase” of war, with 9,000 trucks’ worth of aid ready at the border for the Palestinian territory.
Clips from English Teacher’s set at the festival yesterday show Fontaine midway through a speech, saying: “This particular conflict will end, and when it does, like all others, there will be those who took the side of the oppressor and those who took the side of the oppressed. And we are proud to share the stage with people who stand up against oppression.”
“Protests have a long, beautiful history, not only because it allows us to communicate the realities of oppression, but it also allows us to imagine and to make tangible what is not,” she continued, introducing the song ‘This Could Be Texas’.
“The following song is about lots of things, but one of its main themes is how fucked up the world is, but it’s also about Desire Paths, which are those man made shortcuts across fields – the real normal people rebelling against the paths made by the city planner for an option that suits them.”
She went on to say: “The people at the top, they don’t care about us, they care about themselves. So we have to defend each other, and we have to listen to each other. Free Palestine. Thank you.”
See the full speech below.
Lily Fontaine, singer of English Teacher, also speaks out on Palestine at the festival pic.twitter.com/XteOcN0tT6
— Stephen Smith (@SteveNickSmith) May 23, 2025
Yesterday saw multiple speeches on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including one by Jeremy Corbyn ahead of Nadine Shah‘s set. “We’re here today to get support for people in a desperate situation in Gaza and the West Bank,” he started, before being cheered by the crowd. “We’re here also to celebrate music, celebrate music venues, and celebrate the joy that music brings to millions.”
The former Labour leader also announced that he has tabled a bill in Parliament calling for an inquiry into the British military’s role in Israeli operations in Gaza. Elsewhere in the speech, he addresses the blockade of aid and food to Gaza – “they are being deliberately starved to death,” he said.
“I’m sorry to say, but for a very long time this country…has supplied weapons and supplied parts for the F-35 jets that are used to bomb Gaza,” he said to the crowd. “So when we have the demonstrations in support for the Palestinian people, please be there and raise your voice.”
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, at least 53,822 people have now been killed since Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas’s cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
Corbyn’s speech just now to the Wide Awake Festival in south London pic.twitter.com/ooCG3x54nn
— Stephen Smith (@SteveNickSmith) May 23, 2025
Kneecap, who headlined the festival yesterday, also used their set to address the crisis. It comes after Mo Chara received a terror offence charge on Wednesday (May 21), which the band have slammed as a “carnival of distraction”.
Wide Awake had previously announced the trio’s headline set would go ahead as planned, despite a wave of cancellations by other festivals following their Coachella 2025 performance that saw them make a firm pro-Palestine stance.
Speaking on stage, the rapper said that authorities were “trying to silence us before Glastonbury” and urged fans to be “on the right side of history.”
“I know we’re out, we’re enjoying ourselves and we’re trying to listen to some tunes at a festival… believe me lads, I wish I didn’t have to do this,” he said at the south London event.
“But the world’s not listening. The world needs to see solidarity of 20,000 people in a park in London chanting, ‘free free Palestine!’”
❤️🔥 @KNEECAPCEOL unwavering in their solidarity with Palestine tonight at #WideAwake festival.
Kneecap will be vindicated.
Imperialism will fall.
Palestine will be free.🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/Dkl17kkQRq
— Hope Worsdale (@HWorsdale) May 23, 2025
The lead-up to this year’s edition of Wide Awake festival has been bumpy, after local resident Rebekah Shaman, a member of the Protect Brockwell Park group, took legal action against Lambeth Council, arguing that organisers Brockwell Live (the organisers behind Wide Awake, Field Day, the Mighty Hoopla) did not have the correct planning permission for the events. Last week (May 16), a judge ruled in her favour.
The ruling caused concern for the plight of the many festivals that were due to be held on the site this summer, with the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) warning of the possibility of a “devastating blow” to London culture as a result. However, organisers Brockwell Live confirmed on Monday (May 19) that “no event will be cancelled as a result of the High Court’s decision”.
Prior to the festival kicking off yesterday, they announced a last-minute reduced ticket scheme due to combat rising legal costs.
