More than 60,000 verified signatures have been added to a petition calling for U.S. singer Pink to be removed as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.
Launched on Change.org on September 11, the petition calls on UNICEF to reassess Pink’s role as an ambassador. The organizers argued that the artist’s recent statements targeting people who defend Palestinian rights are incompatible with the organization’s humanitarian principles.
The petition calls for impartiality
The organizers said UNICEF ambassadors should defend children’s rights and well-being without regard to nationality or political views. The petition’s signatories accused Pink of undermining these principles through her public statements and called on ambassadors to stand up for all children affected by conflicts.
The petition also calls on UNICEF to maintain its strict humanitarian neutrality and encourage its ambassadors to act in accordance with these principles.
Macklemore’s removal from the tour debated
Grammy-winning rapper Macklemore voiced support for Palestine during concerts at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium as part of Ed Sheeran’s tour. Wearing a keffiyeh, the artist performed his pro-Palestinian song “Hind’s Hall” alongside images from Gaza and said that people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank had not been forgotten.
After these performances, Macklemore was removed from the remaining concerts of Sheeran’s U.S. tour. Sheeran said the decision had been made by the tour organizers and that venue owners had threatened to cancel the concerts.
Sheeran said he was trying to find a solution but would not share his views on Israel and Palestine publicly. The artist was criticized for allowing Macklemore to be removed from the tour.
