Comedy gigs raise funds for Gaza-Eight ‘Stand Up for Gaza’ gigs have been organised by comedian and actor Angus Lindsay

the Friend By Rebecca Hardy December 2025

Quakers have been supporting comedy shows which have raised over £60,000 for Gaza. 

The eight ‘Stand Up for Gaza’ gigs have been organised by comedian and actor Angus Lindsay, an ally of the Quaker climate activist Rajan Naidu. 

Bringing together comedians to perform for free, Angus Lindsay first started his fundraising for Gaza as a crowdfunder but soon turned to shows, with Amnesty International offering their theatre venue for free. 

Angus Lindsay told the Friend that the idea for the shows was sparked when a friend asked if he could support a Gaza-based family. ‘I was horrified by what I was seeing on my phone… I was put in touch with a Palestinian woman who was in the US but all her siblings and their families were still in Gaza. Originally the aim was to raise enough to pay for them to be evacuated to Egypt. We managed to raise enough for travel permits for the first family. Then [the] Rafah invasion happened and the border crossing was closed and it became about just trying to keep them alive.’

One of the family members, Raghad Hammouda, helped found a mutual aid group called ‘Daughters of the Land’ which uses funds raised via the gigs and a Chuffed campaign ‘Gaza Flour Fund’ to distribute food, water and other essentials to hundreds of families. ‘We transfer funds directly to Gaza accounts. It’s then changed into cash by the money exchangers who not so long ago were taking a fifty per cent commission! I think this has gone down now but there are still many people profiting off others misery and trauma.’

The group is currently trying to get tents and tarpaulins to families whose tents have been flooded. ‘What’s been so inspiring has been the amount of ordinary people who have stepped up. Some have set up their own charities.’ 

Comedians have so far included the political activist Mark Thomas, Robin Ince, Lou Sanders, Clare Ferguson-Walker and Angela Barnes. Alexei Sayle will be headlining the next gig in February. 

Angus also supported a ‘Jews for Gaza’ gig, organised by Jewish comedian activist Ivor Dembina, and headlined by Michael Rosen. Donations have included an original artwork from Banksy.