Watch Hozier deliver a powerful speech at Leeds Festival 2025

Yorkshire Evening Post

The Irish headliner took time out of his set to address global and local issues, including freedom of speech, LGBTQI+ rights and Palestine.

Transcript

00:00Shortly afterwards in Northern Ireland

00:04Directly inspired it

00:06At a time and place in Northern Ireland

00:08Where not every single citizen was guaranteed

00:10The right to vote

00:12In the 1960s

00:14And that right to vote that we have

00:16Like so many rights that we enjoy

00:18Every single day without even thinking about it

00:20Rights of free speech

00:22Women's reproductive rights

00:27Gay rights, gay marriage rights

00:30Workers rights

00:32Union rights

00:34It's so easy to take these for granted

00:38And forget just how much work

00:40How much effort, how much had to be fought for

00:42To gain these things, you know

00:44And as we've been travelling

00:46I've been encouraging people

00:48Inviting people to use their free speech

00:50Use their purchasing power

00:52Use their democratic voices

00:54Use their votes

00:56To do anything that they can

00:58Need to do to support peace and safety and security

01:00For everybody in the Middle East

01:02Alright

01:06For a meaningful and lasting ceasefire

01:08And a meaningful, good-found political solution

01:14And not just political lip service

01:16You know what I mean

01:18And I believe in the core of it

01:20People are good

01:21They would want to see human beings

01:22Need for peace and safety and security

01:24Am I right?

01:26I believe they would want that for people

01:28That they know

01:29They would want that for their loved ones

01:30They would want that for their neighbours

01:32They would want that for people that they don't know

01:34Or may never be

01:36I believe that people would not want to see

01:38Members of their community

01:39In the fear of hatred or racism

01:41They would want to see our Jewish neighbours

01:43In the fear of anti-semitism

01:45Or our Muslim political dissenters

01:47In the fear of Islamophobia

01:51They want to see their gay neighbours

01:53Or gay friends

01:54Treating with respect and dignity

01:55Members of the LGBTQ plus community

01:58Treating with dignity and respect

01:59Enjoy the same race as anyone else

02:00You know

02:01You know

02:04And peace and safety and security

02:06For everybody in the Middle East

02:07We've seen a Palestine

02:08That's free from these cycles

02:09Of genocide and violence

02:13These cycles of ethnic cleansing

02:15The opposed starvation

02:16Of men, women and children

02:17That we're seeing on our TV screens

02:18At the moment

02:19You know what I mean?

02:20And

02:23I know I don't need to tell you

02:25I know I don't need to tell you

02:27That spray painting an aeroplane

02:29That's delivering equipment

02:30To brutalise and murder children

02:33Is an act of terrorism

02:34Or constitutes an act of terrorism

02:35Or constitutes an act of terrorism

02:38And I know I don't need to tell you

02:39That supporting people

02:40Who would do that

02:41Constitutes an act of terrorism

02:42I know you

02:43You know that

02:46Or Irish musicians

02:47Irish rappers

02:48Or punk musicians

02:49Speaking on behalf

02:52Of their empathy

02:53For the people of Palestine

02:54Constitutes an act of terrorism

02:55Am I right?

03:00And I believe it's the

03:01The ruling class of London

03:02Needs

03:03To remember what terror looks like

03:05They could take a look

03:06At colonial history

03:07Right?

03:08I want to thank you for letting me speak

03:13From the heart for a moment

03:14I want to thank you for letting me

03:15The goodness

03:16Letting me see the goodness

03:17The everyday solidarity

03:18The everyday goodwill

03:19That I experience here in Leeds

03:20I'm seeing people

03:21I'm seeing people look out

03:22For each other's

03:23Neighbour

03:24I'm seeing people

03:25Looking out for each other

03:26When they're feeling faint

03:27And just thank you

03:28For the warm welcome

03:29I've received here

03:30Thank you for letting me speak

03:31From the heart for a moment

03:32And if there's any way

03:33You want to support this cause

03:34With either your voice

03:35Your purchasing power

03:38Your vote

03:39I so so encourage you to do so

03:40Thank you so so much

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