Belfast rap trio Kneecap have offered their “love and solidarity” to Macklemore following his removal from the remaining US dates of Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour.
Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, had been supporting Sheeran on the US leg of the tour before being dropped following comments he made in support of Palestine during a concert at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey earlier this month.
Responding to a statement posted by the US rapper on Instagram, Kneecap wrote: “Free Palestine. They can never silence the truth.”
The trio later shared a photograph with Macklemore, writing: “All love and solidarity to @macklemore. FREE PALESTINE.”
Irish singer CMAT also responded to the controversy, posting images of the Palestinian flag alongside the words “Free Palestine”.
Macklemore said on Monday that Sheeran and his team had “made the decision to remove” him from the tour following what he described as difficult conversations with the British singer.
Tour promoter Messina Touring Group subsequently said it had been informed by venues on the remaining US dates that they would not allow concerts featuring Macklemore to take place.
“After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates,” the promoter said.
Sheeran has not publicly commented on Macklemore’s removal from the tour.
The rapper had drawn attention after telling the crowd at MetLife Stadium on 4 September that he wanted people in Gaza and the West Bank to know they had not been forgotten.
A petition was subsequently launched by the Israeli American Council calling for him to be removed from the remaining dates.
In his statement on Monday, Macklemore said he did not consider himself a victim and pointed instead to the suffering of Palestinians.
Other musicians and public figures have since expressed support for the rapper, including Paloma Faith, Garbage, Kehlani, Tones and I and climate activist Greta Thunberg.
Garbage described Macklemore’s removal from the tour as “sheer madness”, saying that nothing he had said was “violent or hateful or remotely radical”.
Macklemore has been a vocal supporter of Palestinians and earlier this year was among more than 1,100 artists, musicians and cultural workers who called for a boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest over Israel’s participation.
Kneecap and Faith were also among the signatories to the letter, which was coordinated by campaign group No Music For Genocide.
Source: Press Association