A reading of the names of children killed in Gaza lasts over 18 hours
- Text by Isaac Muk
- Photography by Steve Eason
Choose Love — The vigil was held outside of the UK’s Houses of Parliament, with the likes of Steve Coogan, Chris O’Dowd, Nadhia Sawalha and Misan Harriman taking part.
A vigil taking place yesterday outside the UK’s Houses of Parliament, where the names of the 15,613 children known to have been killed in Gaza were read aloud, finished after lasting over 18 hours.
It began at 9am on Thursday, May 29, and lasted until 2:30am on Friday, May 30, with the likes of Chris O’Dowd, Steve Coogan, Dawn O’Porter, Nadia Sawalha, Misan Harriman and Ncuti Gatwa taking part in reading them non-stop.
The vigil was organised by UK based charity Choose Love, who provide aid and advocacy for refugees around the world. Members of the group held up a banner, which read: “GAZA: ACTIONS NOT WORDS”, with names of children killed under the age of one printed on it.
In an Instagram post, Choose Love wrote: “In the early hours of this morning, we read the last of the list of 15,613 names of Palestinian children known to be killed in Gaza.
“15,613 names. Over 18 hours,” it continued. “Every single one of those names was someone’s universe.”
Choose Love have also headed up an open letter to the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, calling upon the UK to end complicity in the horrors in Gaza now, which has been signed by over 300 cultural figures and musicians including Dua Lipa, Wretch 32, Benedict Cumberbatch, Massive Attack, Gary Lineker and more.
Josie Naughton, the CEO and co-founder of Choose Love said: “Words won’t save the lives of Palestinian children as they are being killed, words won’t fill their empty stomachs.
“We need action from Keir Starmer now. That means stopping all arms sales and licenses, making sure that legitimate humanitarian organisations can reach people in Gaza. It means doing everything possible to make these horrors end,” she continued.
“Action is a choice, just as inaction is one. History will remember what we did in this moment. We are begging the Prime Minister to make the right choice.”
Isaac Muk is Huck’s digital editor. Follow him on Bluesky.
Buy your copy of Huck 81 here.
Enjoyed this article? Follow Huck on Instagram and sign up to our newsletter for more from the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture.
Support stories like this by becoming a member of Club Huck.
You might like
Daido Moriyama’s first four photobooks to be published in English for the first time
Quartet — A new anthology collates Japan, A Photo Theater, A Hunter, Farewell Photography and Light and Shadow, alongside journal entries and memoranda.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Meet Lady Pink, the ‘First Lady’ of graffiti
Miss Subway NYC — As a leading writer and artist in a man’s world, Sandra Fabara has long been a trailblazer for girls in underground art. Now, her new show touches on her legacy, while looking to the future.
Written by: Isaac Muk
As Grindr scams in India rise, its LGBTQ+ community fights back
Red flags — Through mobilising the threat of outing queer folk, scammers are using dating apps to find targets for extortion, violence and blackmail. Mansi Rathee and Amir Bin Rafi spoke to people who have been affected, and reported on the community’s work to support victims and raise awareness.
Written by: Mansi Rathee
New documentary revisits NYC’s ’90s skateboarding golden age via the lens of Supreme
Empire Skate — The 30 for 30 documentary premiered in June, exploring how the brand evolved from a Lafayette skate shop into a global streetwear giant.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Euphoric portraits of queer joy and resistance at Trans Pride Brighton
Let us piss — Now over a decade old, the event grew to become Europe’s largest trans pride march. In a year when trans rights have come under the microscope more than ever, we went to this year’s edition, finding grassroots unity and collective rage.
Written by: Ella Glossop
Jack Johnson
Letting It All Out — Jack Johnson’s latest record, Sleep Through The Static, is more powerful and thought provoking than his entire back catalogue put together. At its core, two themes stand out: war and the environment. HUCK pays a visit to Jack’s solar-powered Casa Verde, in Los Angeles, to speak about his new album, climate change, politics, family and the beauty of doing things your own way.
Written by: Tim Donnelly
