Macklemore defends Pro-Palestine statements and shares full speech from Ed Sheeran gig after criticism from P!NK, Boy George and more

Macklemore has responded to critics of his recent onstage pleas for a “Free Palestine”, saying striving for equality “should never be controversial”. READ MORE: Ed Sheeran – ‘Play’ review: a hasty retreat to the genre-spanning of old After making an impassioned speech calling for “all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality” while opening for Ed Sheeran across recent dates in New Jersey, the rapper has faced calls for his removal from the tour by the Israeli-American Council, who claimed he had used his platform to “advance a one-sided political agenda”. Speaking from the stage at MetLife Stadium over the weekend, Macklemore told the crowd that he wanted those in Gaza and the West Bank to know “they have not been forgotten”, adding: “I believe that every human being walking on this earth deserves exactly the same freedom.” “I say Free Palestine, free Cuba, Congo, Sudan and Iran and all the people of America who live in fear because of this terrorist organisation ICE,” he continued, before launching into pro-Palestine track ‘Hind’s Hall’ while showing footage of Gaza onscreen. Boy George – who drew huge backlash recently after sharing the AI-assisted pro-Israe...