US rapper Macklemore sparked a petition demanding his removal from Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour after calling for “Free Palestine” during his performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Friday night.

Macklemore, who opened for Sheeran, sang out “Free Palestine” during his set before telling the audience that he wanted people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank to know they had not been forgotten.

“I believe that every human being walking on this earth deserves exactly the same freedom,” he said.

The rapper repeated the remarks during his performance on Saturday night.

His politically themed set prompted the Israeli American Council to launch a petition demanding that he be removed from the remaining dates of the tour.

The petition, which does not disclose how many signatures it has gathered, said: “This was an Ed Sheeran concert, not a political rally, not a protest, and not an activist event.”

“The issue is not whether Macklemore has the right to hold political views. The question is where the line should be drawn when an opening act uses a global concert platform to advance a one-sided political agenda,” it added.

Macklemore also criticised US Immigration and Customs Enforcement during his remarks.

The rapper released “Hind’s Hall”, a song criticising Israel’s actions in Gaza, in 2024. He has directed proceeds from the song towards humanitarian efforts by the UNRWA.

The remarks also drew mixed reactions from concertgoers on social media. Some said they walked out because they had not expected a “political rally” and accused Macklemore of antisemitism.

Others applauded his comments, with one writing: “Music has always been a vital platform for human rights advocacy, not just mindless escape.”