Macklemore has made his return to the stage for the first time since being dropped from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour following comments he made about Palestine
Macklemore called for “Free Palestine” as he returned to the stage. The US rapper was dropped as the support act on Ed Sheeran’s LOOP Tour last month following his on-stage pro-Palestinian comments.
The rapper, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, took to the stage at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado on Thursday, his first performance since being dropped from Ed’s tour. During his performance, which included 17 tracks, he delivered a passionate speech in which he doubled down on his views.
“Being a human being in this moment is not complicated,” he said. The rapper continued: “It is not political. It is human to have a heart, to watch others suffering and to say, ‘Not anymore!’ So I say, free Palestine. I say, free Palestine!”
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The 43-year-old added: “I say, free Sudan. I say, free Congo, Lebanon, to Haiti, to all the people that are affected by ICE in America, who are afraid to leave their houses.”
After cheers from the crowd, he commented: “The message will always be love.” After being dropped from Sheeran’s tour, Macklemore announced his own Free Palestine Tour across the UK and Europe, with all benefit shows completely selling out.
He said: “We put these shows together fast and in community, believing that musicians can stand in solidarity with Palestine, use the stage to raise funds and show what collective action can look like.
“When those in power try to silence our calls for liberation, art will always be a form of resistance.” While performing at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey last month, Macklemore called for “all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect and equality,” before saying that “we have not forgotten about them,” when addressing people in Gaza and the West Bank, before declaring: “Free Palestine.”
After being criticised, he said that “wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial”. Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft objected to the rapper performing at the scheduled show later that month.
The rapper pledged to donate his entire earnings, $1million from the Loop Tour, to six organisations supporting Palestinians. he told Kraft: “Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting.” Mr Kraft later pledged to donate $2million to aid humanitarian work in the region.
Ahead of Macklemore’s concert at Wembley, 50 peers have urged Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to ban him from the UK. The letter, written by the Government’s former adviser on political violence, Baron Walney, says the concert is “not conducive to the public good.”
Macklemore will play at the OVO Arena, Wembley, on Friday, October 30, with shows also taking place in Dublin and Paris. All proceeds from the concerts will benefit organisations such as Anera, Glia, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Taawon, HEAL Palestine and Palestinian Youth Movement.
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