Macklemore kicks off ‘Free Palestine’ tour after being dropped from Ed Sheeran gig; Mark Ruffalo sends special message – WATCH |
Rapper Macklemore has kicked off his three-show ‘Free Palestine’ tour in Dublin, Ireland, dedicating the opening concert to “love and liberation”. The performance comes just over a month after he was dropped as an opening act for Ed Sheeran following a political speech on stage in which he expressed support for Palestine.
Macklemore begins ‘Free Palestine’ tour
The rapper, who brought out surprise guests Hozier and Kneecap during the Dublin show, addressed the controversy and emphasized that his call for Palestinian freedom was rooted in shared humanity, Macklemore told the audience, “Six weeks ago, it was two words. Two words is all that it took. Two words that are rooted in love and liberation. Not against anybody, not divisive. Not a call for hatred. But a call to recognize our shared humanity. Free Palestine. I said free Palestine! The same thing that I want for all of us, freedom, dignity, the right to exist without fear. Being able to raise our children in the homes that we grew up in, not having to prove our humanity to the rest of the world.”
Hozier appeals for Gaza students
Hozier also used his surprise appearance to draw attention to 55 students in Gaza who are awaiting approval of their visas to take up scholarship places in Ireland. Calling on the Irish government to address the situation, the singer said, “55 students in Gaza who are awaiting for their visas to be approved for scholarship places they earned and are waiting for them here in Ireland. And the government has no approved their visa applications… It’s baffling why it hasn’t been solved yet, but if you want to sign a petition, there it is behind me on the screen.”
Mark Ruffalo sends special message
Actor Mark Ruffalo has also reportedly sent a special message that was played out on the big screen. “There will be no peace until there’s equality,” the Marvel actor said.Liam Cunningham also took over the microphone to share a few words. He said, “Enjoying tonight does not mean forgetting about the suffering in Gaza. It means celebrating the humanity and life that Palestinians have fought so hard to protect.”Macklemore’s Dublin performance marked the beginning of his three-show tour, with the rapper continuing to use his platform to call for Palestinian freedom.
Jack Antonoff slams Ed Sheeran
Meanwhile, musician and producer Jack Antonoff has criticised Ed Sheeran’s decision to drop Macklemore from his tour, arguing that expressing support for Palestine should not be considered controversial. In a pointed message directed at Sheeran, Antonoff urged the singer to take a stand rather than allow a promoter to dictate what artists can say.“it’s not in any way a strange, uncomfortable or controversial thing to say [Free Palestine], it’s a deeply human thing to say. If you think it is [controversial] you’re lost in some other sauce that is so crazy. They’re going to let some fcking promoter tell me what I can say? Don’t book me. I’ll play for free outside. [Ed Sheeran] missed a massive, beautiful opportunity there: just cancel the whole fucking tour, then play for free outside each venue, raise a bunch of money, rather than let a fucking billionaire tell you what to do. The reason it’s not an anomaly or niche issue is because we all live in a world where billionaires are constantly telling us what to do. So stand the f**k up.”
