American rapper Macklemore voiced his support for Palestinians while opening for Ed Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
During his performances on September 4 and 5, the rapper addressed the crowd while wearing a keffiyeh and called for a “Free Palestine”.
“I wanted to stand up here on stages across America and say two words that are near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine,” he said.
Macklemore also expressed solidarity with people affected by conflicts in several countries, including Sudan, Iran, Cuba and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Grammy-winning artist later performed Hind’s Hall, his 2024 protest song supporting pro-Palestinian student demonstrations. Footage from Gaza and campus protests appeared on the stadium screens during the performance.
Videos shared online showed parts of the crowd cheering his comments. However, the appearance also drew criticism from some concertgoers and organisations, with the Israeli-American Council launching a petition calling for Macklemore to be removed from Sheeran’s US tour.
Following the reaction, Macklemore shared footage from the concert on Instagram and wrote: “Wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial.”
Neither Sheeran nor his representatives had publicly responded to the calls to remove Macklemore at the time of writing.
Macklemore has repeatedly spoken publicly about Palestine. He released Hind’s Hall in May 2024 and later followed it with Hind’s Hall 2, featuring Palestinian and Palestinian-American artists. Proceeds from the songs were pledged to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.
Responding to criticism, Macklemore stressed that his position was not directed against Jewish people.
“To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you,” he said, according to Variety.
He added that his message called for peace and for all people to be treated with “dignity, respect and equality”.
Source: Khaleej Times