During a concert at the Sphere, Bono of U2 paid tribute to Alexeï Navalny, who died last week.
U2 paid tribute to Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was imprisoned in a Russian penal colony where he died suddenly on Friday. On Saturday, during U2’s residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Bono addressed the crowd before the performance of ” Don’t Dream It’s Over » by Crowded House, a residency classic.
As this fan-shot video shows, Bono began by talking about the time he performed on the subway in kyiv, Ukraine, a few months before Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded the country. “ Edge and I were able to stand alongside some Ukrainians at this train station, which was a converted fallout shelter. We were able to stand alongside some Ukrainians who were waiting for the train to arrive with the rest of the free world on board. (…) They are still waiting for part of this train to arrive. America is so generous. But let’s give these people what they need. »
“ Next week will be two years since Putin invaded Ukraine and attempted to destroy the Ukrainian people’s hard-won freedomsBono said. Next week it will be Poland’s turn, Lithuania’s turn, East Germany’s turn – who knows where this man will or won’t go? »
“ For these people, freedom is not just a word in a song. For these people, freedom is the most important word in the world – so important that Ukrainians fight and die for it. And it’s so important that Alexei Navalny chose to give up hisBono added, referring to Alexei Navalny’s decision to return to Russia in 2021, where he was immediately arrested and imprisoned.
Alexei Navalny has been arrested by Russian authorities on what are widely seen as trumped-up corruption charges aimed at silencing his criticism of Mr Putin. Before being arrested, Mr. Navalny survived at least two documented assassination attempts. His imprisonment sparked widespread protests against the Putin government across Russia. In 2022, Mr. Navalny was sentenced to nine years in prison, with an additional 19 years added in August.
“ Apparently Putin would never say his name. So I thought that tonight, the free people here, the people who believe in freedom, we must say his name. Not just remembering it, but saying it “, concluded Bono on Saturday, leading the crowd in a chant “ Alexei Navalny ” as he and The Edge launched into their acoustic rendition of the Crowded House classic.
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