Rapper Macklemore is facing a boycott petition calling for his removal from Ed Sheeran's current tour following his 'Free Palestine' onstage plea over the weekend. The petition, initiated by the Israeli-American Council, argues that the concert platform should not be used for one-sided political agendas.
Macklemore, 43, served as the opening act for Sheeran's Loop tour on Friday and Saturday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. During his set, he wore a keffiyeh and performed his song "Hind's Hall," which criticizes actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Footage of Gaza was displayed on the large screen behind him as he performed the track, released in 2024, with proceeds benefiting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
"I have a message to share with the Palestinian people and I want them to know they have not been forgotten," Macklemore stated during his performance. He added, "I believe that every human being walking on this earth deserves exactly the same freedom, to know safety and peace before knowing the sounds of violence."
During his speech, he also referred to ICE as a "terrorist organization" before shouting, "Free Palestine" and "Free Cuba, Congo, Sudan and Iran." The Israeli-American Council's petition contends that "This was an Ed Sheeran concert – not a political rally, not a protest, and not an activist event." It questions "where the line should be drawn when an opening act uses a global concert platform to advance a one-sided political agenda."
The petition's current signature count has not been publicly disclosed. Social media reactions have been divided, with some fans defending Macklemore's comments while others have accused him of antisemitic rhetoric.
Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, has a history of voicing support for Palestinians. In 2023, he appeared at a pro-Palestine rally in Washington D.C., condemning Israel's actions in Gaza and stating, "I know enough to know that this is a genocide."
In 2014, Macklemore issued an apology after wearing a costume on stage that was widely criticized as an antisemitic Jewish caricature. At the time, he wrote on his website that he would "never intentionally put down anybody for the fabric that makes them who they are" and that he loved all cultures and people.
Neither Macklemore nor Ed Sheeran have publicly commented on the backlash or the boycott petition as of reporting. The Daily Mail has reached out to Macklemore's representatives for comment.