US-based rapper Macklemore said on Monday that he was dropped from Irish singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran's The Loop tour due to his public statements regarding his support for Palestine.
Initially slated to appear as the opening act for the US section of Sheeran's tour, Macklemore — who is best known for his hit 2012 song Thrift Shop, which he co-created with producer Ryan Lewis — alleged that Sheeran and his team dropped him from the event after facing ultimatums from American businessman Robert Kraft and other stadium owners over his political advocacy.
"Ed told me that Robert Kraft called him. We were scheduled to play Gillette Stadium later this month, which is owned by the Kraft Group," Macklemore posted on social media. "Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium."
"Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Mackemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues," Macklemore added.
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Macklemore used his opening performances at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on Sept. 4 and 5 to call for a 'Free Palestine' and perform his protest song 'Hind's Hall', accompanied by images of destruction in Gaza.
"If I kept doing the shows, saying Free Palestine, with Ed implicitly supporting it, the crowd getting loud and showing undeniable support for Palestinian liberation, what artist might speak out next? The stage becomes resistance. Maybe that's why this time it became so important to silence me," he wrote.
The ongoing crisis in Gaza was kickstarted after militant group Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which led to the estimated death of 1,195 people and the capture of 251 people, according to the count shared by Israel.
The ensuing war claimed the lives of over 61,800 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 70% of the Palestinians killed in residential buildings were women and children.
As per a Guardian report, 83% of the casualties from the conflict were civilians in Gaza citing Israeli military intelligence data.
A United Nations commission of inquiry stated that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. The International Criminal Court also issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif for crimes against humanity.
ALSO READ: Hind Rajab Killing: Israel Military Launches Criminal Probe Amid Global Flak
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