American singer-songwriter Zach Bryan has reignited debate over pro-Palestinian positions at US concerts after taking to the stage at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, wearing a black shirt bearing the words ‘Free Palestine’, weeks after rapper Macklemore was removed from Ed Sheeran’s US tour.
Circulating video clips showed Bryan wearing the shirt during the first night of two concerts he is performing at the stadium. Several members of his band also appeared in clothing featuring messages supporting Palestine, broadening the scene’s engagement on social media.
Bryan’s appearance linked to Macklemore controversy
Bryan’s appearance drew added attention because of Gillette Stadium’s connection to the Macklemore controversy. The rapper had been scheduled to open the US concerts on British singer Ed Sheeran’s ‘Loop Tour’ before being removed from the tour’s remaining stops following controversy over his pro-Palestinian statements and performances.
The controversy began during a concert held on 4 September at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, when Macklemore declared his support for Palestinians and chanted ‘Free Palestine’. During the concert, he performed his protest song ‘Hind’s Hall’, which addresses pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, and displayed images connected to the war in Gaza as part of his set. The concert was followed by a debate over whether Macklemore should continue participating in the tour’s remaining shows.
Macklemore removed and Robert Kraft’s objection
In September, the rapper announced that he had been removed from the remaining US stops, saying the decision followed conversations with Sheeran and linking his removal to Robert Kraft’s opposition to his participation in the concert that had been scheduled at Gillette Stadium. Messina Touring Group, the organiser of the US tour, confirmed that stadiums at later stops had told the tour’s organisers they would not allow concerts featuring Macklemore to take place.
Kraft later said he had opposed the rapper appearing at Gillette concerts. In a statement, Kraft said the decision to bar Macklemore was based on what he described as his ‘recent actions’ and the material he displayed during Sheeran’s concerts in New Jersey, as well as what he considered a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery.
He added that Macklemore’s participation in the two concerts scheduled for 25 and 26 September would have crossed a ‘red line’. Sheeran, meanwhile, said Macklemore’s removal was not a personal decision he had made, explaining that the tour’s organiser had decided to remove him. He said he had spoken directly with Kraft in an attempt to find a solution that would allow the rapper to participate.
Sheeran had been scheduled to perform two concerts at Gillette Stadium on 25 and 26 September, but both were later cancelled because of warnings related to severe weather conditions. Weeks later, the stadium returned to the centre of the debate when Bryan appeared in the Palestine-supporting shirt, while members of his band wore clothing carrying similar messages.
Reaction to the ‘Free Palestine’ shirt
Bryan made no direct statement linking his choice of shirt to the Macklemore controversy or Kraft’s position. Nevertheless, the timing and location of his appearance led a number of followers to connect the two incidents, particularly because the stadium was central to the controversy that preceded Macklemore’s removal.
Activists and bloggers considered Bryan’s wearing the shirt inside Gillette Stadium a message of solidarity with Palestinians at the stadium owned by Kraft, who is known for his support of Israel. Others saw particular significance in the scene after Macklemore was barred from participating in Sheeran’s concerts over his pro-Palestinian positions. Some bloggers mocked the timing of Bryan’s appearance in the shirt as the repercussions of the Macklemore controversy continued, drawing links between the two scenes.
One person wrote that Macklemore ‘provokes Robert Kraft’, referring to the controversy sparked by the rapper’s positions and his public support for Palestinians. Other comments focused on the growing presence of pro-Palestinian messages in the US music scene, arguing that expressing them was no longer limited to songs or public statements, but was also appearing in the clothing worn by artists and participating bands, as well as at public events and concerts.
Macklemore launches independent solidarity tour
Following his removal from Sheeran’s tour, Macklemore announced the launch of an independent tour called the ‘Free Palestine Tour’. He said its shows aimed to demonstrate solidarity with Palestinians and raise donations, then announced that tickets for several concerts on the tour had sold out after going on sale.
The clips showing Bryan and members of his band brought the issue wider circulation, while followers considered the appearance of another artist with a ‘Free Palestine’ message inside the same stadium to have brought the Macklemore-Kraft controversy back into the spotlight.
There are no indications of coordination between Bryan and Macklemore, or that the scene contained a direct message from either of them to the other.
