Students host first charity club event in Osaka to support Palestine

Japan continues to show its support towards victims of the humanitarian crisis in Palestine, with civilians and people in the industry taking action, especially in Tokyo.

With an aim to to spread this movement over to Osaka, the country's second biggest city, four students based in the Kansai region came together to form Kansai Youth Movement for Change (KYMC).

“We are all clubgoers and there were frequent occasions in general where we feel that the clubbing community in Osaka is not engaging enough with inclusivity and diversity. At this time when there is a literal genocide going on, we want the clubbing community in Osaka to have a little bit more consciousness to understand that there is more to our space than just music and dancing. After all, the clubbing community roots from a space of liberation, resistance and expression,” they mention to Mixmag Asia.

KYMC’s first attempt to fuse the clubbing culture and expression of solidarity with Palestine, was held last December as a day event. After receiving many requests asking them to extend the duration, this time KYMC is challenging the space for ‘protest’ as a night event on August 2.

For this occasion, KYMC is collaborating with pro-Palestinian talents: an upcoming artist who has collaborated with the likes of Tohji and Ntski, Le Makeup, HIBI BLISS from Tokyo who has also been taking part in protest raves, Aspara, Sahar Bagherpour, and glico—a concentration of Kansai-based names.

Read this next: A protest rave unfolded in Shibuya over the weekend

HIBI BLISS shares her thoughts towards this charity event with us: “Music and dancing are not only for fun. It’s also an expression of rage and sadness. It’s our way of protesting; a scream for help and to stand with Gaza.”

Le Makeup adds, “While spending my usual days and performing at live shows on the weekends, I can't shake a sense of guilt. I feel useless and powerless, but I will always resist genocide and discrimination. I believe this party is one way of doing that. Let's learn together and stand in solidarity with Palestine.”

Read this next: AMAPINIGHT is heating up Japan with amapiano, dance, and gyaru spirit

Purchase Early Bird tickets here or at the door of Socore Factory on August 2.

Keep updated with Kansai Youth Movement For Change by following them on Instagram here.

Elle Katayama is an intern writer for Mixmag Asia, follow her on Instagram.

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