Macklemore kicks off 'Free Palestine' tour, declaring 'I say free Palestine'
US rapper Macklemore kicked off his Free Palestine tour on Thursday night, telling the crowd 'being human is not complicated' in his first show since being dropped from Ed Sheeran's tour, Al Jazeera reports.
Macklemore has returned to the stage with a message, according to Al Jazeera. The American rapper kicked off his Free Palestine tour on Thursday night, telling the crowd that 'being human is not complicated' — and that he says 'free Palestine,' Al Jazeera reports.
The concert was his first performance since he was dropped as Ed Sheeran's supporting act after making pro-Palestinian comments on stage, according to the broadcaster. The 43-year-old Grammy winner announced the tour in response to that fallout, pledging to donate its proceeds to causes supporting Palestinians, Al Jazeera reports. 'Being apolitical during a genocide doesn't work,' Macklemore said when announcing the shows.
The row began on September 4 at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, where Macklemore used his opening slot to defend Palestinian rights, according to Al Jazeera. Venue owner Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the New England Patriots, later confirmed that the rapper was barred from performing at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, Al Jazeera reports.
Macklemore has alleged that Kraft pressured Sheeran's team and rallied other stadium owners against him. Neither Kraft nor Sheeran has commented on those allegations, Al Jazeera reports.
English punk-rap duo Bob Vylan publicly backed the new tour, and Macklemore earlier pledged $1 million of his earnings from Sheeran's Loop Tour to organisations supporting Palestinians, according to Al Jazeera.
Source: Al Jazeera English — TrendWire reports stories in its own words; facts should be confirmed against the original source.