Watch: Coldplay promotes pro-Palestinian music video
Music sensations get attention for posting OneWorld video on Facebook page, endorsed by ICAHD UK, Jews for Justice for Palestinians.
By MICHAEL OMER-MAN'Freedom for Palestine' music video 311(photo credit: Courtesy)
Coldplay made headlines on Wednesday when the group posted the music video for the single “Freedom for Palestine” to its Facebook page.The campaign, also the name of the single by OneWorld, was endorsed by the UK’s Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions and Jews for Justice for Palestinians.RELATED:The moral sophistry of Roger WatersRoger Waters: I'm not anti-Semitic, I'm anti-occupation Coldplay took no part in the production of the song, but their Internet promotion nonetheless immediately caught the attention of major Jewish and Israeli media outlets.The post, which directed fans to the website of the song’s producers, managed to pull in over 3,500 “likes” within six hours, a large number for most Facebook users, though the figure pales in comparison to a previous post on Coldplay’s page which reeled in nearly 11,000 “likes.” In an e-mail to The Jerusalem Post, OneWorld media officer Paul Collins said, “We were delighted that Coldplay told their fans about the single, and hope this will make a big difference.”The song calls for the West Bank security barrier to be toppled, for human rights and “justice for all,” while the video features a keffiyeh-clad breakdancer superimposed on animated scenes of Palestinians at IDF checkpoints. The song is scheduled for official release in early July.Coldplay fans expressed predictably polar opinions of the band’s foray into politics.While some praised the band using their fame to promote the Palestinian cause, others were decidedly disturbed by the move.
In a comment on the Facebook post, one such fan wrote, “Coldplay should stick to music.”Most of the comments, however, in typical fashion of political discussions on the Internet, turned into expletive-filled personal attacks on other commenters.The video, which has been on YouTube for over a week, had been viewed by over 21,000 people at press-time.The media attention brought by Coldplay’s decision to share the song with their fans will likely boost the video’s exposure.According to OneWorld’s website, the video is a response by international musicians to the injustices faced by Palestinians daily, including “human rights abuse and [living] in crushing poverty in refugee camps and under Israeli occupation.”Collins told the Post, “We hope the single will communicate the realities of life for Palestinians to new audiences, and strengthen the call for change.”Musicians who perform in the song include Maxi Jazz and Dave Randall of Faithless, LSK, the Durban Gospel Choir and Jamie Catto, among others.Organizations listed as campaign supporters also include Friends of Al-Aksa, Stop the War Coalition and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
