Out of the Loop (Tour): Macklemore Addresses Palestine, Gets Removed from Sheeran’s Circuit
Fans and haters alike worry that the silencing of Macklemore could lead to more dangerous levels of censorship among celebrities. Photo by Mick Haupt via Unsplash.
American songwriter Macklemore was removed from English performer Ed Sheeran’s international tour in September after sharing his opinions on Israel and Palestine.
Macklemore, who was supposed to be Sheeran’s opening act on his Loop Tour, vehemently expressed support for Palestine and criticized the treatment of Palestinians by Israel. At one of Sheeran’s first shows at MetLife Stadium, Macklemore performed the antiwar protest song “Hind’s Hall” alongside visuals of the Palestinian flag and demonstrations calling for a “Free Palestine.”
The rapper cited Palestine’s suffering as one of the reasons he wanted to participate in Sheeran’s tour; he was eager to use his platform to voice his thoughts on the Middle Eastern conflict.
“Free Palestine. I said, ‘Free Palestine!’ I want those words to be loud and clear so the people all the way in Gaza to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten about them,” the musician said to the MetLife crowd.
In response to Macklemore’s public support for Palestine, upcoming tour stops, such as Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, informed Sheeran’s promotion team that they would not allow the artist to perform if Macklemore was still a part of the tour.
“Their pain and loss are real. But that advocacy should not come at the expense of the Jewish community,” said Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, in a statement provided to GBH News.
Kraft, who is Jewish, was critical of Macklemore’s performance because he believed it was antisemitic and that the musician was cherry-picking elements of the conflict to share.
“Too many lives have been lost and there has been too much suffering, but only sharing selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas is not honest…Standing with the Palestinian people and standing against Hamas, antisemitism and hate should not be mutually exclusive,” Kraft said.
The Israeli-American Council also issued a petition to get Macklemore off the tour. In an Instagram post from Sept. 6, the Israeli-American Council published a call to action to Ed Sheeran.
“Do not allow your stage to be used to divide people or spread one-sided political propaganda,” the organization wrote.
“This was an Ed Sheeran concert,” the organization said, “not a political rally, not a protest and not an activist event.”
Supporting acts including Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham and Finneas withdrew from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore. In a social media post expressing solidarity with Macklemore and Palestine, singer-songwriter Finneas wrote:
“Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed.”
Charlotte Stover ’30 conveyed similar opinions to Finneas when asked about the situation.
“Remaining silent just because you don’t want bad publicity means you’re a coward who doesn’t deserve the attention your platform provides,” Stover said.
Sheeran discussed Macklemore’s departure at his show in Philadelphia in September, then posted an Instagram slideshow defending himself.
“Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine…Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn’t mean I don’t have [my personal views], and it doesn’t mean I don’t care,” Sheeran said.
Macklemore recently announced his own tour with a focus placed entirely on Palestine. The proceeds will go to humanitarian aid groups that will benefit Palestinians amid their plight.
Furthermore, the musician pledged to donate “the entire $1 million of [his] net earnings” from Sheeran’s tour to pro-Palestine organizations.
This recent scandal has called into question how much responsibility celebrities have to address the conflict in Palestine and, more generally, whether they are obligated to use their platforms as a means to put forth information and share their personal perspectives regarding the sociopolitical climate.