Macklemore meets pressure to drop from Ed Sheeran's tour with more calls to 'Free Palestine'

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Set us as preferred Grammy winner Macklemore doubled down on his continued support for Palestinians, after his calls last week to “Free Palestine” onstage and the performance of his protest song “Hind’s Hall” drew ire from some Jewish advocacy groups.On Friday, the “Same Love” and “Thrift Shop” musician took the stage at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium as the opening act for singer Ed Sheeran.

During his set, Macklemore criticized Israel for its war on Gaza and its accused genocide of Palestinians.He also projected video footage of pro-Palestinian college encampments as he performed “Hind’s Hall.” Video of the performance spread online, sparking criticism from groups including Stop Antisemitism, which accused Macklemore on Instagram of turning “a mainstream event into a political nightmare against the Jewish state.” The group also tagged Sheeran, claiming that “concert goers are owed apologies and refunds.”A representative for Sheeran did not immediately respond on Tuesday to a request for comment.

The Israeli American Council and the Anti-Defamation League also decried Macklemore’s performance on social media, with the former publishing a petition calling on Sheeran to remove the rapper from the remaining shows of his tour.Sheeran’s Loop tour is scheduled to end its North America leg on Nov.

7 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.“Freedom of expression does not give anyone the right to turn someone else’s stage into a platform for political propaganda,” the Israeli American Council said on Instagram.

Critics on social media also resurfaced photos more than a decade-old of Macklemore wearing a costume of a “Jewish caricature,” for which he apologized in 2014.Three doctors treat war casualties while speaking forcefully — and fearlessly — about the human tragedy unfolding on ...