American rapper Macklemore has been removed from the remainder of the US leg of Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour following backlash over pro-Palestinian remarks he made on stage. During a September 4 performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the Grammy-winning artist told the audience that he wanted people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank to know they had not been forgotten, explicitly stating “Free Palestine”. The comments sparked a petition from the Israeli American Council demanding his removal from the lineup. Messina Touring Group, the promoter for the tour’s US leg, stated that multiple venues on the upcoming schedule notified organizers they would refuse to host concerts featuring Macklemore, threatening tour cancellations that would impact numerous fans. As a result, stakeholders agreed that the rapper would no longer perform on the remaining support dates. Macklemore, who has a long record of advocating for Palestinian rights and previously released the protest song “Hind’s Hall,” responded to the decision on social media, asserting that his commitment to speaking out on the issue remains unchanged regardless of the professional consequences. Venue representatives and supporting groups criticized the remarks, arguing that the concert platform was inappropriately used for a one-sided political agenda, while the artist maintained that his message focused on human rights, dignity, and peace.
Source: nbcnews.com
