Pink publicly slammed Macklemore for declaring 'Free Palestine' at a Sheeran concert, then got hit with her own backlash. Who's in the right here?
Macklemore opened for Ed Sheeran in New Jersey wearing a keffiyeh and calling for a free Palestine; Pink reshared a post calling it 'anti-Israel propaganda' sprung on fans who paid to see Sheeran. Now both are getting swarmed by opposite sides of the same argument.
What happened
Macklemore opened for Ed Sheeran's New Jersey shows wearing a keffiyeh and declaring ‘Free Palestine’ from the stage. Pink reshared a post from an account called Stop Antisemitism calling it ‘anti-Israel propaganda’ sprung on fans who ‘bought tickets to see Ed Sheeran sing,’ then responded to the backlash against her with a series of ten defiant memes on Instagram, including ‘being liked by everyone is a clown's job.’
Why people disagree
Critics of Macklemore say a paid concert isn't the place to spring a political statement on an audience that didn't sign up for it. Critics of Pink point out she has used her own music for political messages before, and argue she singled out a Palestinian rights statement specifically rather than political speech in general.
What's still unclear
Whether either side is going to change anyone's mind here, or whether this just becomes another instance of both artists' existing fanbases digging in further.
More takes
Two Knicks players named Taylor Swift the team's fakest celebrity fan, calling her courtside visits a little performative. Fair comment, or a cheap shot?
Martha Stewart has apologised twice for dressing as a homeless person for Halloween, in a post promoting her candles. Fair backlash, or an overreaction?
