Fifty peers have signed a letter urging Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to ban rapper Macklemore from entering the UK ahead of his Free Palestine concert in London.
The anti-Israel artist, real name Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, is due to perform at the Wembley Arena on Friday – the third stop on his sold-out tour.
Profits from the tour are to be donated to Palestinian causes and charities – one of which is the Palestine Youth Movement (PYM), whose UK spokesperson called the taking of hostages on October 7 “legitimate” and “effective”.
The letter to Mahmood was penned by Lord Walney, the government’s former adviser on political violence and a JC contributor, and focused on the money being raised.
“A foreign national proposes to come to Britain to raise money, from a British audience, for an organisation whose record of glorifying terrorism and of intimidating elected representatives – this should concern any government,” the letter read.
PYM has previously faced allegations of attempting to pressure public officials by declaring a “siege” on Labour MPs it claimed were “directly complicit in the genocide” last year.
Members of the group have also allegedly expressed support for Hamas. For instance, in 2023, a PYM speaker called the terror group's commitment to “the path of armed struggle” a “legitimate path for total liberation,” according to the Anti-Defamation League.
It is not clear whether Macklemore is aware of the allegations against the group, but details were readily available online when the JC searched for its name
“A refusal would be proportionate and narrowly targeted. It would not prevent anyone in this country supporting the humanitarian organisations on Mr Haggerty’s list, nor restrict access to his music,” the letter continued.
“It would simply decline to grant a foreign national the privilege of raising funds on British soil for an organisation of this kind.”
The letter has been signed by Lord Pickles, among others.
Although US citizens do not need a visa to visit the UK, the Home Office has the power to refuse entry.
Macklemore announced the Free Palestine tour after he was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour last month following comments he made about Palestine on stage, which led to stadium owners to threaten to cancel his concerts.
He played the first concert in Dublin on Monday, supported by an entourage of Irish anti-Israel acts including Kneecap, Hozier and Beoga.
On stage, Macklemore said: “I am proud to stand here on stage in solidarity with the Palestinian people. We will continue to fight for collective liberation until our last breath.”
He waved a Palestinian flag during the set.
A number of fans were draped in Palestinian flags or wearing keffiyehs.
Macklemore said at the Monday concert that the show made him “feel glorious”.
He also said that Kneecap and Irish singer Hozier were the first to agree to perform as support acts.
Kneecap rapper Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged in May after allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed organisation Hezbollah at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London, in November 2024.
The charge was later thrown out of court after a critical deadline was missed to bring a case against him, prompting outrage among Jewish community leaders.
At the 3Arena concert, a member of Kneecap said: “We'd like to thank Ed Sheeran for organising this event.”
Hozier has been vocal in his support of Palestine.
Today, Macklemore will play the second concert of the tour at the Paris’ Accor Arena before coming to Wembley tomorrow – unless the Home Office accepts the peers’ argument and imposes a ban.
The Home Office has been contacted by the JC.
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