US rapper Macklemore has announced a "Free Palestine" tour, featuring live shows with musicians and friends to raise funds for humanitarian causes in Palestine. The tour is set to begin in Dublin on October 26, followed by dates in Paris on October 29 and London on October 30. North American dates are expected to be announced later.
This announcement follows Macklemore's removal from Ed Sheeran’s US stadium tour after he called for a "free Palestine" onstage on September 4. During his speech, Macklemore stated his desire for the people of Gaza and "the occupied West Bank" to know they had not been forgotten.
Macklemore, also known as Benjamin Haggerty, posted on Instagram that "something has shifted over the last three years" regarding "Palestinian liberation." He added that "being apolitical during a genocide doesn’t work anymore."
Organisations set to benefit from the concerts include Anera, Glia, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Taawon, Heal Palestine, Palestinian Youth Movement, Middle East Children’s Alliance, Jewish Voice for Peace, Medical Aid for Palestinians, Institute for Middle East Understanding, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, and UNRWA USA.