Let her go! A small but impassioned group of Kesha fans organized a peaceful #FreeKesha rally outside Sony’s New York City headquarters on Friday morning, February 26. The protest comes one week after a judge denied the “TiK ToK” singer’s plea to terminate her recording contract with Dr. Luke.
“Dr. Luke is really whack, Kesha needs her freedom back!” protestors cried out in front of Sony’s Manhattan offices. Other chants included: “Drop Luke, free Kesha” and “Free Kesha now!”
Retweet if you want @SonyMusicGlobal to Drop Luke To Free Kesha pic.twitter.com/DRjRzI3Vo1
— Team Kesha Rose (@crazykeshafans) February 26, 2016
Fans also held signs with messages like “I stand with Kesha” and “Kesha deserves freedom.”
Protestors also brought glitter — one of the pop star’s favorite accessories — for attendees to put in their hair and on their clothes as a sign of support.
Demonstrators called for the music conglomerate to let the pop star, 28, out of her six-record deal with Sony’s Kemosabe Records, which Dr. Luke (real name: Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald) oversees.
As previously reported, Kesha filed a lawsuit against Gottwald, 42, to get out of her contract with the famed producer. In the suit, she alleges that he has physically, mentally and sexually abused her since she began working with him at age 18.
“Kesha to date has never verified the allegations in this case — even when given the opportunity in her affidavit,” Dr. Luke’s lawyers told Us Weekly in a statement. “Nor has she ever offered a credible explanation as to why she would have signed a second recording agreement, recorded two albums and an EP and signed a publishing deal with Dr. Luke after allegedly being sexually abused. It will further be shown that the incidents alleged never happened.”
“The truth that Kesha has gone through right now represents women across the world whether or not Kesha’s music has inspired you personally or not, you know what, she’s representing everybody,” Michael Eisele, 19, of Newtown, Connecticut, who organized the event, told Us Weekly. “All these people here, Kesha means something to them and this case means something to them.”
“Whether you’re a fan of her or not, it’s a human rights issue,” Sean Flynn of New Jersey told Us about why he attended the rally. “You’re talking about a woman who spent many years under his thumb, and Sony’s talking about her like she’s a stock portfolio. She’s more than an investment. She’s a human being and she deserves respect.”
While Sony released an official statement stating they’re legally unable to cut Kesha loose from working with her alleged abuser, members of the #FreeKesha movement aren’t buying it.
“Sony does have the capability of freeing Kesha. They do!” Eisele added. “They can terminate their contract with Dr. Luke and we are here to show them how important this is. We are bringing this message to their front door.”
