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Macklemore took the stage as Ed Sheeran's opening act at MetLife Stadium, where he called out "Free Palestine" mid-set and followed it with a speech aimed at reassuring people in Gaza and the West Bank that they hadn't been forgotten. Remarks that prompted the Israeli American Council to launch a petition in response.
"The truth is, a big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I can stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine," Macklemore said while introducing the song, according to footage from his set shared online.
''I believe that every human being walking on this earth deserves exactly the same freedom,'' he said.
The Israeli American Council responded by launching a petition calling for the rapper to be dropped from the remaining dates of the Loop tour.
Macklemore also spoke out against ICE, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, during his remarks, extending his message to people facing conflict and humanitarian crises in Lebanon, Cuba, Congo, Sudan and Iran.
He closed by pointing to Americans he said "have to live in fear" because of ICE, which he called a "terrorist organization."
In 2024, he released "Hind's Hall," a track criticizing Israel's military actions in Gaza, and has since directed the song's proceeds toward humanitarian relief efforts through UNRWA.
The song is named for Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by Israeli forces during a strike on the car she was sheltering in, in Gaza.
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