Macklemore honoured with Gaza mural following Ed Sheeran tour removal

Macklemore has been honoured with a mural in Gaza City following his removal from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour after speaking about Palestine during a concert.

The mural was created by Gaza artists Anne Redwan and Qusai al-Helo. Painted on a cracked concrete slab surrounded by rubble, it depicts Macklemore wearing a Palestinian flag and raising his fist. A message beside the portrait reads, "Thank you for using your voice for Palestine."

_{Photo: Reuters}

The artwork follows Macklemore’s appearance on Sheeran’s tour, where he performed his song "Hind's Hall" while wearing a keffiyeh and called for a "Free Palestine".

His participation was subsequently removed from the remaining US dates of the tour after venue owners reportedly objected to his public statements about the conflict.

Macklemore also addressed Jewish concertgoers following criticism of his comments, saying, "Criticism of Israel…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."

Redwan told Reuters that the mural was intended to express gratitude towards the rapper.

"We wanted to send a message to thank rapper Macklemore in this simple way," she said.

"As an artist living under siege here in Gaza, we are waiting for support from anyone who can see the persecution we live under," Redwan added. "We can paint murals bigger than this to express our feelings."

Following his removal from Sheeran’s tour, Macklemore pledged $1 million in net earnings from the tour to six humanitarian aid organisations operating in Gaza.