Macklemore’s ‘Free Palestine’ tour will benefit group that called Oct. 7 a ‘prison break’

Rapper Macklemore is facing backlash from Jewish organizations over plans to donate proceeds from his upcoming 'Free Palestine' concert tour to the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), which described the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel as a 'prison break.' Macklemore was dropped on Sept. 14 from an opening slot on Ed Sheeran's US stadium tour after making pro-Palestinian remarks onstage. He announced his 'Free Palestine' tour on Sept. 24, pledging that all proceeds would benefit organizations supporting Palestinians, with PYM among 12 named beneficiaries. The tour includes concerts in Dublin on Oct. 26, Paris on Oct. 29, and London on Oct. 30. Macklemore said on Instagram that the tour 'sold out immediately.' PYM is a grassroots movement of Palestinian and Arab youth in the United States, Canada, and Britain. On Oct. 7, 2024, the first anniversary of the Hamas attacks, the group described the assault as a 'prison break' and called the fighters 'the men who broke through' in an essay published in The New Inquiry. Jewish and pro-Israel groups have slammed Macklemore for supporting PYM. The Jewish Leadership Council told The Jewish Chronicle that 'When the PYM describes the 7 October massacre as a prison break, it risks legitimizing violence against Jews.' The Israeli-American Council told Fox News Digital that 'Live Nation and the concert organizers must now publicly explain their vetting process.' Macklemore, Live Nation, and PYM did not immediately respond to requests for comment.