Macklemore tells Dublin crowd the words "free Palestine" are "so threatening to some people"
MacklemoreMusician and subject of the case, speaking from the stage at Dublin's 3Arena
At the opening concert of his Free Palestine series in Dublin, Macklemore said the two words that led to his removal from Ed Sheeran's tour were a call for shared humanity, and that some people would rather silence them than confront their meaning.
“those two words are so threatening to some people. They would rather silence those two words than confront what they actually mean. Because freedom that requires another person’s oppression is not freedom at all.”
Reporting
Other statements by Macklemore in this case
- Macklemore says the "billionaire class" should not decide "which voices are allowed on stage"Earlier: Defended or excused
- Macklemore repeats "free Palestine" at Red Rocks, his first show since his removalEarlier: Defended or excused
- Macklemore answers the peers who sought to stop his Wembley showLater: Defended or excused
Where this statement fits
Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” speech and removal from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour
At two Ed Sheeran concerts at MetLife Stadium, Macklemore called for a free Palestine, accused Israel of apartheid and genocide, and said criticism of Israel was not criticism of Jewish people. After venue objections, tour promoter Messina Touring Group said he would not perform the remaining U.S. Loop Tour dates. Critics characterized the performance as hostile or inappropriate; Macklemore defended it as a call for equal treatment.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Variety's report on the October 26 opening concert of Macklemore's Free Palestine series at Dublin's 3Arena. It transcribes Macklemore's address to the crowd and describes the sets by Beoga, Hozier and Kneecap and the video messages from Mark Ruffalo and others.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Macklemore told the crowd that six weeks earlier "two words" had been all it took, and described "free Palestine" as a call to recognize shared humanity rather than a call for hatred.
After the quotation
He went on to describe footage from Gaza and said the words had become more controversial than the suffering that made them necessary, before introducing the rest of his set.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case concerns Macklemore's Free Palestine speech at Ed Sheeran's concerts and his removal from the remaining U.S. dates. Macklemore defends the words he used, calls them a call for shared humanity and says those who object would rather silence them, so we labeled it as defending the speech.
- Recorded on
- Published here
More from this case
Read the full caseJack Antonoff says Ed Sheeran "missed a massive, beautiful opportunity" to cancel his tour
“They’re going to let some fucking promoter tell me what I can say? Don’t book me. I’ll play for free outside. [Ed Sheeran] missed a massive, beautiful opportunity there: just cancel the whole fucking tour, then play for free outside each venue, raise a bunch of money, rather than let a fucking billionaire tell you what to do.”Read statement
Jewish Voice for Peace says the backlash to Macklemore's removal shows support for pro-Palestine speech
Jewish Voice for Peace
“Two years into Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestine organizing, the backlash against Sheeran shows how little patience Americans have for attacks on pro-Palestine speech. It also demonstrates the shift toward support for Palestinian rights among everyday Americans that our movements have helped propel.”Read statement
Ari Emanuel criticizes Macklemore's MetLife speech in a Daily Show interview
“I don't think it was completely understanding the facts. And I think it was belittling to Jewish people, too.”Read statement
Share or embed this statement
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the statement page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Macklemore tells Dublin crowd the words "free Palestine" are "so threatening to some people"
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/7070-at-the-opening-concert-of-his-free-palestine
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Macklemore tells Dublin crowd the words "free Palestine" are "so threatening to some people"". First published: 2026-10-28. Last updated: 2026-10-28. https://disputeindex.com/events/7070-at-the-opening-concert-of-his-free-palestine