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Macklemore defends 'Free Palestine' remarks after Ed Sheeran tour backlash

bbc.com — September 8, 2026 at 02:01 PM UTC

Rapper Macklemore defended his "Free Palestine" comments made during Ed Sheeran's New Jersey concerts, stating they were not an attack on Jewish people, after ticket buyers and the Israeli-American Council called for his removal from the tour. Macklemore's remarks accompanied his protest song Hind's Hall, prompting a petition from the Israeli-American Council and criticism from some fans. In a Monday video, he clarified his message was for peace and equal treatment, referencing the Gaza conflict's death toll and the ongoing ICJ genocide case. The controversy stems from the war that began with Hamas's October 2023 attack, which killed about 1,200 people, and Israel's subsequent campaign that has killed over 73,000 in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Sheeran's representatives have not yet responded to the removal calls.

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