Rapper Macklemore is facing a boycott petition seeking his removal from Ed Sheeran's "+-" tour after he made a "Free Palestine" statement onstage during recent performances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The petition, initiated by the Israeli-American Council, argues that an opening act should not use a global concert platform to advance a "one-sided political agenda."
Macklemore, 43, who served as the opening act on Friday and Saturday, wore a keffiyeh and displayed footage of Gaza during his set while performing his song "Hind's Hall." Proceeds from the 2024 track, which criticizes actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, benefit the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
During his performance, Macklemore stated that he had a message for the Palestinian people, emphasizing that "they have not been forgotten." He also voiced his belief that "every human being walking on this earth deserves exactly the same freedom, to know safety and peace before knowing the sounds of violence." He referred to ICE as a "terrorist organization" before shouting, "Free Palestine" and "Free Cuba, Congo, Sudan and Iran."
The Israeli-American Council's petition states, "This was an Ed Sheeran concert – not a political rally, not a protest, and not an activist event." It questions the appropriateness of using a concert platform for political advocacy. The petition's current signature count has not been publicly disclosed.
Macklemore has a history of voicing support for Palestinians. In 2023, he appeared at a pro-Palestine protest in Washington D.C., addressing a crowd of over 100,000 people. At that time, he condemned Israel's retaliatory strikes in Gaza, stating he had researched the situation and believed it to be a "genocide."
In a separate incident in 2014, Macklemore apologized after wearing a disguise that was widely condemned as an anti-Semitic Jewish caricature. He later stated on his website that he respected all cultures and would never intentionally disparte anyone, adding that he did not believe he looked Jewish when wearing the costume.
Fan reactions on social media have been divided, with some supporting Macklemore's onstage comments and others accusing him of antisemitic rhetoric. Neither Macklemore nor Ed Sheeran have publicly commented on the backlash or the petition at the time of reporting.