American rapper Macklemore is facing backlash over his “Free Palestine” pleas made onstage during Ed Sheeran’s two nights in New Jersey. The “Thrift Shop” musician, 43, took the stage as Sheeran’s opening act at MetLife Stadium on September 4 and 5, where he said “Free Palestine” before performing his 2024 protest song “Hind’s Hall,” which condemns Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. On Sunday, the Israeli-American Council launched a petition to Sheeran and his management, urging the musician to remove Macklemore from the remainder of the tour.
The IAC said the artist had used a “global concert platform to advance a one-sided political agenda” and added: “This was an Ed Sheeran concert — not a political rally, not a protest, and not an activist event.” “This becomes even more troubling when the message relies on selective imagery, biased messaging, and disputed claims presented to a massive audience as fact, without context or complexity,” the petition stated. The organization also called on Sheeran’s team to “clarify whether Macklemore’s political speech, visual content, and performance of Hind’s Hall were approved in advance, and to establish clear boundaries for the use of the tour stage to promote political messaging.” “Hind’s Hall” is inspired by the Columbia University protesters who, in 2024, unfurled a banner over the academic building Hamilton Hall to name it “Hind’s Hall” in tribute to a six-year-old Palestinian girl called Hind Rajab, who was killed by an Israeli strike in Gaza while she was waiting for aid. Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial.
This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Macklemore, real name Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, told the audience during Friday’s show that one of his main motivations for doing the tour was to share his message. And if any of you guys are parents, then you know that that love that you have for your kids cannot be put into words, right?” He continued: “I want to see her grow up, I want to see her go to school, to fall in love, to figure out meaning, purpose, joy, her existence on this planet.
I want it to be the most beautiful possible. And I think that every single human being that walks this earth deserves that exact same feeling. To know safety and peace before they know the sound of violence, to know the sound of laughter on a playground before planes and bombs, for parents to be able to say bye to their kids in the morning and not have to wonder if this is going to be the last time they kiss their child goodbye.
The artist has won four Grammys, including Best Rap Song for the 2012 song “Thrift Shop” and Best Rap Album for The Heist. The Independent has contacted representatives for Sheeran and Macklemore for comment. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
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