31.10.2026 03:30
Rapper Macklemore, who was removed from Ed Sheeran's US tour due to his statements in support of Palestine, completed his Free Palestine Tour, whose proceeds he will donate to Palestinians, with a concert for 10,000 people in London. On the night when Greta Thunberg gave the opening speech, Macklemore said, "The children in Gaza are all of our children."
US rapper Macklemore, who was removed from British singer Ed Sheeran's tour because of his statements in support of Palestine, held the final concert of his 'Free Palestine Tour' in London, with proceeds to be donated to organizations defending the Palestinian people.
At the concert held at OVO Arena in London's Wembley area, before Macklemore, famous singers, poets, activists, and Palestinian supporters who lived through the Holocaust and the Nakba took the stage.
Speaking at the opening of the concert, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg said that attendees must continue to amplify the voices of Palestinians and all oppressed peoples in the world.
Holocaust survivor Stephen Kapos recalled that during the Nazi occupation he experienced in Budapest, children played among the ruins, and said: 'Eighty years later, when I look at the mass destruction in Gaza, I see it is worse than Budapest. Children are still playing among the ruins.'
Antoine Raffoul, who lived through the Nakba, noted that he had to leave his home at the age of 7, and that he now dreams of returning to Palestine with his 7-year-old grandson.
Famous singer Paloma Faith, stating that she had recently become a mother, said for the children in Gaza: 'Every child needs their mother beside them to say you are safe.'
At the concert, a performance by the Al Hurriya choir formed by Gazan children and a message from famous actor Javier Bardem were also projected on screens.
THE CHILDREN IN GAZA ARE ALL OF OUR CHILDREN
After stage performances by numerous poets, singers, and rappers, Macklemore took the stage.
Macklemore, who said he also has three children, said: 'When this genocide began three years ago, as we scrolled through phone screens, we were seeing a horrific, unimaginable catastrophe. For me, after a certain point, staying silent instead of saying something became unsettling.'
Explaining that speaking out is not a sign of courage but a requirement of being human, Macklemore asked: 'The children in Gaza are all of our children. We cannot make any distinction. We inherited the idea that we are separate, borders, and barbed wire. What are we doing as the international community to tear these down?'
Macklemore, who stated that 10,000 ticketed spectators attended the concert, performed his beloved songs. Attendees also supported both the Palestinian people and the US rapper with Palestinian flags, keffiyehs, and clothing carrying the colors of the Palestinian flag.
Macklemore came out for the second half of the concert, where the audience frequently chanted 'Free Palestine' and 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,' wearing a Palestinian jersey with 'Free Marwan' written on it, calling for freedom for Marwan Barghouti, one of the symbolic leaders of the Fatah Movement in Palestine.
THE CONCERT IS A MESSAGE OF HOPE FOR PALESTINIANS
Brian Kelly, one of the listeners who attended the concert, said in a statement to an AA correspondent that it is important for famous people to express their views on issues such as Gaza.
'For famous people, it is very easy to stand in the background and be worried about their popularity,' Kelly said, expressing that many celebrities keep the suffering in the world in the background.
An Irish audience member named Aileen, on the other hand, stated that the concert was a message of hope for the Palestinian people and said that Palestinians are a people who have suffered for many years.
Aileen, who attended the concert in a football jersey bearing the Palestinian and Irish flags, said: 'I hope that people like Macklemore drawing attention to this issue and bringing famous people together to support this cause will help bring better rights for Palestinians.'
HE HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM ED SHEERAN'S TOUR
Grammy award-winning US rapper Macklemore has publicly expressed his support for Palestine many times since 2023, when Israel's attacks on Gaza began.
Macklemore donated the proceeds of his song 'Hind's Hall 2,' prepared with Palestinian artists in support of Gaza, to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which Israel targeted with unfounded allegations.
Due to his support for Palestine, Macklemore was removed from the concert program of Sheeran's US tour, and it was revealed that US billionaire Robert Kraft was behind the decision.
Kraft, who provides financial support to various pro-Israel organizations, stated that he opposed Macklemore performing at Gillette Stadium, which he owns, and claimed that the singer had engaged in 'antisemitic rhetoric' in his recent performances.