Left-wing rapper Macklemore took on immediate backlash from audience members and fans who wanted a refund of their ticket after the rapper launched into an anti-American, pro Hamas rant on stage during Friday’s Ed Sheeran concert in New Jersey.
Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, bellowed slogans such as “Free Palestine,” and accused Israel of “genocide” in Gaza from the stage at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
“I wanted to stand up here on stages across America and say two words that are near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine,” the “Thrift Shop” singer yelled to the audience.
As he ranted, the rapper wore a Palestinian Keffiyeh and the Jumbotron behind him flashed “Free Palestine” images.
Macklemore is often seen engaging in extremist politics from the stage and often screams “Fuck America” along with his pro-Hamas rhetoric.
He performed his song “Hindi’s Hall,” which was written about the pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University. Images of Gaza appeared on the screen behind him during the tune.
Many blasted the rapper and his host, Ed Sheeran, for the display of hate. And the Israeli-American Council started a petition on Sunday demanding that Sheeran drop Macklemore from his tour.
“This was an Ed Sheeran concert – not a political rally, not a protest, and not an activist event,” the IAC said in its statement.
“The issue is not whether Macklemore has the right to hold political views. The question is where to draw the line when an opening act uses a global concert platform to advance a one-sided political agenda,” the statement continued.
“This becomes even more troubling when the message relies on selective imagery, biased messaging, and disputed claims presented to a massive audience as fact, without context or complexity.”
The organization went farther to demand that all concert venues to establish boundaries concerning political expressions during concerts.
The group StopAntisemitism posted a message to X reminding followers that Macklemore once appeared on stage dressed as a Jew and wearing a fake giant nose, a long-time antisemitic trope.
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