American rapper Macklemore concluded the European leg of his “Free Palestine” concert tour with sold-out shows in Paris and London. During the concerts, he met children from Gaza and appeared on the final night wearing a shirt calling for the release of imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti.
Before his concert at Paris’ Accor Arena on Oct. 29, Macklemore met four children and teenagers from Gaza, some of whom had been injured during the war. They are supported by a humanitarian organization that works with children from Gaza.
Photos released by the organization showed the artist speaking with the children and accompanying a girl walking on crutches.
“Freedom for Marwan” on the final night
At the tour’s final concert, held on Oct. 30 at London’s OVO Arena Wembley, Macklemore wore a shirt reading “Freedom for Marwan” in solidarity with Barghouti.
Barghouti is one of the most prominent leaders of the Fatah movement. He has been held in Israeli prisons since 2002, and in 2004 he was sentenced to five life terms.
Albanese and Zomlot take the stage
Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, took the stage in London to speak about the resilience of the Palestinian people. Palestine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Husam Zomlot, presented the artist with an olive-wood gift containing Palestinian soil.
Proceeds from the tour, which also included a concert in Dublin on Oct. 26, will go to 12 organizations supporting Palestinians. Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour in September after calling for a “free Palestine,” while artists in Gaza painted a mural thanking him for his positions.
