On 29 January 2024, the Israel Defense Forces shot and killed an evacuating Palestinian family, including a 5-year-old girl named Hind Rajab, and then killed two paramedics who came to save the family (AP News).
On 30 April 2024, Columbia University student protestors occupied Hamilton Hall and renamed it Hind's Hall in honor of Hind Rajab (AP News). In response, the billionaire Robert Kraft stopped donating money to Columbia, his alma mater (Al Jazeera).
On 4 – 5 September 2026, before performing his song Hind's Hall during his opening sets for Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour, Macklemore said:
One of the reasons why I wanted to come on this tour was because I wanted to stand up here on stages and stadiums across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine.
I said, Free Palestine!
I want those words to be loud and clear, so the people from Gaza, all the way to the occupied West Bank, know that we have not forgotten them.
And this next song was inspired by the bravery of Columbia University students who led an encampment movement that mobilized the entire world; open up hearts, myself included, so thank you to those students that risked their diplomas, that risked their tuition, that risked their scholarships, that stood up and said, no. CUAD students, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Jewish Voices for Peace. Thank you, guys.
To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you. My message is for peace; love for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality.
So I say Free Palestine, I say Free Lebanon, I say Free Cuba, I say Free Congo, Free Sudan, I say Free all people in America living in fear of this terrorist organization, ICE. None of us will be free until we are all free.
Robert Kraft, who owns the Gillette Stadium where the tour would later perform, rallied other venue owners to successfully pressure Sheeran and the Messina Touring Group to drop Macklemore from the tour.
See Macklemore's Instagram video and the reports from AP News, Al Jazeera, and Newsweek.