US rapper Macklemore said it was “more uncomfortable for me to stay silent than to say something” as he took to the stage in London for the latest stop of his Free Palestine tour.
The 43-year-old, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, made the remarks during an emotional speech about his support for Palestine at his sold-out concert at the OVO Arena Wembley on Friday night.
In videos from the show, Macklemore told the cheering crowd he had reached a point where he felt unable to remain silent about the conflict.
“I was scrolling, scrolling, scrolling and seeing the horrific, unimaginable catastrophe that was happening in front of our eyes,” he said.
“At a certain point, it was more uncomfortable for me to stay silent than to say something.
“I just want to say, I don’t believe that saying something is brave. I don’t believe that saying something is courageous.
“I believe that saying something is human.”
“Those children in Gaza are our children. There is no separation,” he added, and was met with loud cheers from the crowd and chants of “Free Palestine”.
Macklemore was joined onstage by supporters who echoed his sentiments, including singer Paloma Faith, who spoke about motherhood and the value of every child’s life.
The 45-year-old said: “It’s scary to be in the public eye and to come out and say and stand up at these things.
“But it’s not as scary as what would happen if we didn’t do it.”
The award-winning singer, who gave birth to her third child seven months ago, said she was concerned about politically aligning herself because she has “a family to support”.
Faith said: “But I just thought: Why are my children more important than the children in Gaza, and Palestine, and Sudan, Yemen and Congo?
“They are not more important.
“It breaks my heart to think that anyone thinks their children are more important than somebody else’s.
“Every child deserves to have their mother hold them in their arms and say ‘it’s going to be safe’. Right now, this world doesn’t feel very safe for children.”
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg also appeared at the concert, delivering a speech about what more still needs to be done to support Palestinian people.
“Do not for one second think that you have done enough by attending a benefit concert or by donating money, because the occupation will not end by philanthropy and slogans,” she said.
“We can change all the hearts and minds in the world, but that has to be paired with actual policy change in a way that actually challenges our extremely violent status quo.”
Macklemore kicked off his Free Palestine tour in Dublin earlier this week, where he was joined by the likes of Hozier and Kneecap, before performing in Paris on Thursday alongside artists including Aurora and DJ Habibeats.
The Grammy-winning musician previously said the gigs “sold out immediately” after going on sale last month.
The concerts were announced after Macklemore was dropped from the remaining US dates of Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour following comments he made about Gaza.
The shows aim to bring together artists and friends to help provide humanitarian aid and support for people in Palestine.
All proceeds from the concerts will go towards a number of organisations working in support of Palestinian people, providing medical care, humanitarian assistance, education, community support and advocacy.
Those organisations include Anera, Glia, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Taawon, Heal Palestine, Palestinian Youth Movement, Middle East Children’s Alliance, Jewish Voice for Peace, Medical Aid for Palestinians, Institute for Middle East Understanding, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and UNRWA USA.
