Macklemore shouted “Free Palestine” during a concert on Friday night in New Jersey.
The 43-year-old singer was opening for Ed Sheeran at MetLife Stadium when he sang the phrase during his set. He then told fans that he hasn’t forgotten about those in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
“I believe that every human being walking on this earth deserves exactly the same freedom,” he said. He also said similar rhetoric during the following nights show.
After Macklemore’s spoke out at the show, the Israeli American Council created a petition for the “Thrift Shop” singer to no longer join Sheeran for the tour.
“At Ed Sheeran’s September 4 concert at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, opening act Macklemore used the stage to deliver an extended political message, called for ‘Free Palestine’ and performed Hind’s Hall while images from Gaza and other political messaging were projected across the stadium screens,” the Council wrote.
“This was an Ed Sheeran concert – not a political rally, not a protest, and not an activist event,” it stated. “The issue is not whether Macklemore has the right to hold political views. The question is where the line should be drawn when an opening act uses a global concert platform to advance a one-sided political agenda.”
The petition continued, “Freedom of expression does not mean freedom from responsibility. Your show. Your stage. Your responsibility. Keep Ed Sheeran’s LOOP Tour about music – not political propaganda.“
The petition does not show how many signatures it has received.
In 2024, Macklemore released the track “Hind’s Hall,” which calls out Israel for its actions in Gaza. The profits from the song are donated to humanitarian efforts from the UNRWA.
