Watch: Madonna makes emotional speech about Paris attacks mid-concert
Madonna has delivered an emotional speech about the terrorist attacks in Paris, in the middle of a concert in Stockholm.
A series of attacks took place in the French capital on Friday night, with coordinated bomb and gun attacks claiming the lives of over a hundred people.
The death count currently stands at 129, with hundreds more injured following the killings across the city at restaurants, a rock concert and a football match.
The world has rushed to show solidarity with the French, with a number of landmarks lighting up in the colours of the French flag, and flowers left outside French embassies across the globe.
Madonna, who is currently midway through her Rebel Heart global tour, pressed ahead with her show in Stockholm last night – but took a moment to explain why.
She said: “I was going to cancel my show tonight, but why should I give that to them? Why should I allow them to stop us?
“This whole show is about celebrating life, standing up for your rights and fighting for what you believe in.
“But I need to take this moment to acknowledge the tragedy.
“The tragic killings, assassinations and the senseless ending of precious life that occurred last night in Paris.”
She added: “It’s disturbed me all day.
“And it’s been really hard to get through the show, because in many ways I feel torn.
“Like, why I am up here dancing and having fun when people are crying over the loss of their loved ones?”
The singer continued: “But then I thought , that is exactly what these people want to do. They want to shut us up, they want to silence us. And we won’t let them.
“As much chaos and pain and senseless violence and terrorism occurs around this world, not just in Paris… there is more goodness in this world.
“All of the places where people were killed were places where people were having fun – eating in restaurants, dancing and singing, watching a soccer match. These are freedoms we take for granted… but these are freedoms that we deserve.
“There is no one in this world who should have the right to stop us from doing what we love.”
After her speech, the singer called for a moment of silence – before launching into an acoustic version of Like a Prayer as a tribute to the victims.
