Macklemore announces 'Free Palestine' tour after being dropped from Ed Sheeran's shows

Rapper Macklemore, dropped from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour over pro-Palestinian comments, has announced a 'Free Palestine' tour whose proceeds will support Palestinians.

• Macklemore announced the tour on Thursday, scheduling Dublin, Paris and London for late October, with US dates to follow.
• Macklemore said proceeds from the tour will go to organizations supporting Palestinians.
• Ed Sheeran said the decision to drop Macklemore was made by concert promoter Messina Touring Group, not by himself.
• Javier Bardem backed a Change.org petition urging UNICEF to end P!nk's goodwill ambassador role, citing her repost criticizing Macklemore.
• Several support acts dropped out of Ed Sheeran's tour after Macklemore's removal.
• Venue owners refused to host Macklemore in the wake of his 4 September onstage call for a 'free Palestine'.
• Macklemore described the tour as part of a 'collective awakening' around Palestinian liberation and a pushback against billionaire censorship of artists.
• Macklemore said 'being apolitical during a genocide doesn't work anymore' in defending his pro-Palestinian stance.
• He accused venue owner Robert Kraft of pressuring Ed Sheeran to drop him from the tour.