Conscience does not make a coward of Benedict Cumberbatch.

The “Sherlock” star has made a habit of taking arms against the sea of troubles faced by Syrian refugees after his performances of “Hamlet” in the Barbican Theater in London. He consistently gives post-play speeches criticizing the British government’s failure to do more to protect the refugees and encouraging members of the audience to donate money to help them overcome the calamity that is the Syrian civil war — raising more than £155,000 so far.

After Tuesday’s performance, though, Cumberbatch went even further than usual in his fight against the law’s delay. In the course of a particularly impassioned version of his spiel, he reportedly said “f**k the politicians” — “out of nowhere,” one audience member told The Daily Mail.

The outburst apparently stunned much of the audience, though some cheered as well, and several posted about the experience on Twitter.

Over four million Syrians have fled their native country since the civil war began — and many fear that their plight will only become more grave as the winter approaches. Only a small fraction of these refugees have been allowed to enter European countries such as the U.K., and far fewer still have been allowed to come to the United States; most remain in dangerous, underfunded camps in the countries bordering Syria.

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