50 UK Peers Urge Home Secretary to Block Macklemore’s Entry Over Pro-Palestine Concert
A group of 50 members of the UK House of Lords has urged Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to bar American rapper Macklemore from entering Britain ahead of his scheduled concert in London on October 30.
The rapper, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, is expected to perform at the OVO Arena Wembley as part of his Free Palestine Tour.
According to Metro, the peers signed a letter written by Baron Walney, a former government adviser on political violence, asking Mahmood to revoke Macklemore’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).
They argued that the rapper’s proposed visit would not be conducive to the public good, citing reports that some proceeds from his concert would be donated to the Palestinian Youth Movement.
The organisation has faced allegations of links to terrorist groups and of celebrating their activities, claims it denies.
The letter also criticised the movement over a social media post published following the October 7 attacks in Israel, which stated: “When people are occupied, resistance is justified.”
According to The Telegraph’s report on the letter, the peers argued that denying Macklemore entry would be a targeted response to the proposed fundraising and would not prevent people from supporting other humanitarian organisations or listening to his music.
Macklemore announced the tour after reportedly being removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour following his pro-Palestinian remarks on stage, Metro reported. The rapper subsequently pledged to donate part of his ticket sales proceeds to organisations supporting Palestinians.
The tour began at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado on Thursday, October 22, where Macklemore called for a free Palestine and expressed solidarity with people affected by conflicts and displacement around the world.
He also highlighted humanitarian concerns in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon and Haiti, as well as the experiences of people affected by immigration enforcement in the United States.
Metro said it had contacted the UK Home Office and Macklemore for comments on the request.
As of the report, the British government had not announced a decision on whether the rapper would be allowed to enter the country for the October 30 performance.
