Rapper Macklemore Calls for 'Free Palestine' During Ed Sheeran Concert

American rapper Macklemore, performing as a warm-up act for Ed Sheeran, used his stage time at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Friday to call for "Free Palestine." Addressing tens of thousands of concertgoers, Macklemore also performed his song "Hind's Hall," which features anti-Israel sentiments, with images from Gaza displayed on large screens behind him. He stated, "I want people in Gaza and the West Bank to know that they are not forgotten," adding that "every person on Earth deserves the same freedom."

Several Israelis in attendance expressed shock and offense. One concertgoer described the experience as "very triggering and blatant," noting that while she was accustomed to hearing "Free Palestine" chants, this was a significant part of the performance, accompanied by a speech and the song with its lyrics and pro-Palestinian propaganda displayed. She observed that "many people got up and left," and she encountered another attendee wearing a Star of David who expressed sorrow.

Another Israeli attendee, who was with her children, felt unwelcome. She recounted seeing two other families with Jewish teenage daughters leave the venue in tears. "Hind's Hall," released in May 2024 amidst pro-Palestinian campus protests, is a strong expression of Macklemore's stance against Israel. The song accuses Israel of "genocide" and "apartheid," claims "the Nakba never ended," and criticizes Zionism, rejecting the notion that anti-Zionism is antisemitism. The song's title refers to Hamilton Hall at Columbia University, which was occupied by pro-Palestinian protesters and renamed "Hind's Hall" in honor of Hind Rajab, a Palestinian child killed in Gaza.

Macklemore, whose song "Can't Hold Us" was a hit in Israel, has been a vocal critic of Israel since the start of the war, participating in pro-Palestinian events. The concert was part of Sheeran's "Loop Tour," which has multiple dates at the 80,000-capacity stadium. Macklemore is not a permanent warm-up act but joins Sheeran for select U.S. shows.