Pro-Palestine rapper Macklemore has sparked fresh fury after photos of him wearing an 'antisemitic Jewish costume' resurfaced online, amid growing backlash against Ed Sheeran for dropping him from his tour.
asserted
him → spark → tour
Meanwhile, climate activist Greta Thunberg is the latest figure to weigh in on the controversy, claiming that Sheeran is 'not the victim.'
Macklemore, aka Benjamin Haggerty, was dropped from Sheeran's tour after he delivered a politically motivated speech in support of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank during his performances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4 and 5.
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he → weigh → September
Responding with an Instagram statement after it was confirmed he was leaving, the rapper claimed Sheeran told him billionaire stadium owner Robert Kraft orchestrated the move, 'issuing an ultimatum' that the whole tour would be cancelled if Macklemore was not removed.
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Macklemore → respond → ultimatum
Sheeran addressed the controversy with his own statement, reminding fans he would never publicly take a political stance.
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he → address → stance
Following his comments, it emerged this morning that Irish radio station Classic Hits Radio announced it would no longer be playing Sheeran's music 'for the foreseeable future' after feedback from their audience regarding the situation.
And in an escalation of the drama, images have resurfaced showing Macklemore wearing an oversized prosthetic nose, a black beard and a shaggy black wig during a 2014 performance in Seattle.
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Macklemore → follow → Seattle
The costume was criticised for resembling an antisemitic caricature of a Jewish man.
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costume → criticise → man
Macklemore apologised at the time, saying he had no malicious intention and was unaware that the costume resembled a Jewish stereotype.
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costume → apologise → stereotype
Macklemore has sparked outrage after images resurfaced of him wearing a costume critics said resembled a Jewish caricature.
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critics → spark → caricature
One picture appears to show him doing a Nazi salute
Macklemore apologised at the time, saying he had no malicious intention
Climate activist Greta Thunberg is the latest figure to weigh in on the controversy, claiming that Sheeran is 'not the victim (Pictured: Thunberg in London protesting for Palestine)
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Sheeran → appear → Palestine
People online have accused Macklemore's pro-Palestinian activism of being part of something more sinister, pointing to his controversial costume and a circulating image that appears to show him making a Nazi salute while dressed in it.
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him → accuse → it
He has not replied to the claims made about the image, and many online say it was a photo taken mid-dance that has been misconstrued.
uncertain
that → reply → image
Prominent Israeli activist Hen Mazzig wrote on X: 'Claiming ignorance about an obviously offensive costume isn't an apology.
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Claiming → write → costume
It's gaslighting the Jewish community about our pain.
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It → gaslighte → pain
12 years passed, yet Macklemore never learned how to listen to the people he harms.'
Rachel Moiselle, a Jewish activist from Ireland added: 'Ask yourself this: would you tolerate someone who did Blackface this way and give him every benefit of the doubt while the Black community are telling you he is racist?
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he → pass → you
I don't think anyone should be de-platformed for their political beliefs.
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anyone → think → beliefs
Separately, I do believe Macklemore is an antisemite and Jews who don't want to see an antisemite at an Ed Sheeran concert shouldn't be scoffed at, even if we may disagree about him being de-platformed.'
uncertain
him → believe → concert
Talk show host Howard Feldman wrote: 'Whatever moral high ground Macklemore tries to take, there will always be this photo to remind us what really motivates him.'
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what → write → him
Meanwhile, Greta Thunberg, a staunch pro-Palestine activist who was detained twice after travelling on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, has publicly backed Sheeran's 'cancellation', criticising him in a statement shared online.
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who → detain → statement
Taking to her Instagram on Tuesday, Thunberg said: 'We are witnessing one of the biggest artists in the world being cancelled because they tried to 'both sides' Israel's genocide against the Palestinian people.
'
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they → take → people
This is a clear and undeniable sign that the global consciousness has shifted.
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consciousness → shift → ?
The normalisation of an apartheid state, and the attempts to sanitise or justify its actions, will no longer be tolerated.
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normalisation → sanitise → actions
After the news of Macklemore's departure, all of Sheeran's remaining support acts also stepped away from the tour.
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all → remain → tour
American singer Finneas wrote: 'Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed.
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they → write → oppressed
I have decided to withdraw from my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran.
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I → decide → Sheeran
I stand with Palestine and its people.'
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I → stand → Palestine
Irish performer Aaron Rowe took a strong stance as he wrote: 'Ed has been a friend to me and has changed my life.
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Ed → take → life
I could never thank him enough for this.
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I → thank → this
But as Irish people, we know all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation.'
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we → know → genocide
He continued by saying he 'cannot stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up'.
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who → continue → those
Danish star Lukas Graham said: 'We should be able to speak about war, about civilians being killed, about children who deserve to grow up.
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who → say → children
Wherever they live.
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they → live → ?
Whatever flag flies over them.'
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flag → fly → them
Irish band Beoga, who joined Sheeran for eight songs including Galway Girl, also revealed that they are removing themselves from the tour.
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they → join → tour
They wrote: 'We have been friends with Ed for over ten years now and will continue to be.
'
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We → write → years
Playing to those crowds every night is the stuff of dreams but to play in venues that silence anyone advocating for a Free Palestine is simply not an option for us.
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that → play → us
Beoga added that Macklemore had been silenced by 'Zionist lobbies' and that the group believed in 'dialogue as a means of progressing the plight of the Palestinian people'.
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group → add → people
Greta Thunberg, a staunch pro-Palestine activist who was detained twice after travelling on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, has publicly backed Sheeran's 'cancellation'
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who → detain → cancellation
Macklemore was due to open for the singer at eight of the remaining ten shows on Sheeran's tour in America
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Macklemore → open → America
Sheeran lost more than 200,000 Instagram followers in 24 hours after fans criticised him for dropping Macklemore.
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fans → lose → Macklemore
In a statement on Instagram, Sheeran addressed the controversy, writing: 'I have always used my platform and music to bring people from all backgrounds and cultures together and this won't ever change.
'
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this → address → backgrounds
…and 23 more, not listed.
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