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\n\tLast month, Macklemore<\/a> launched his Free Palestine tour in response to his removal from Ed Sheeran\u2019s tour<\/a> at the behest of stadium owners who opposed his vocal support of Palestinians in Gaza. It proved to be a success, with three sold-out shows in Paris<\/a>, Dublin<\/a>, and London. Confident fans would show up in support and solidarity, he made plans to bring the tour stateside \u2014 but he claims nine different U.S. venues turned him down. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIn over twenty years of touring, I\u2019ve never experienced anything like this,\u201d Macklemore wrote on Instagram. The outreach process began weeks ago, he claims, and \u201cby mid-September, we received available dates at these arenas through the end of the year. But once they found out these were my benefit shows for Palestine, those dates were suddenly off the table. The doors were closed. The conversations were all different, but the result was the same. The shows were not going to be allowed to happen in these venues.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe named locations include Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center, and UBS Arena in New York; Prudential Center in New Jersey; Intuit Dome, Kia Forum, and Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles; Chase Center in San Francisco; and Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, the rapper\u2019s hometown. (Representatives for each venue did not immediately return Rolling Stone<\/em>\u2018s request for comment.)<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThe trouble with buying power is believing you\u2019ve bought the people too. The billionaires depend on our silence and complicity. They forget that we buy their tickets. We fill their arenas. We build their empires. And we have the power to bring them down,\u201d the rapper added. \u201cThe people have spoken. We want an end to the genocide and we want a Free Palestine. The arenas have made their decision. Now we\u2019ll make ours. If they think the threat of never playing another arena in America will make me retreat into silence, they got me fucked up.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tIn September, the promoter of the U.S. leg of Sheeran\u2019s Loop Tour said venues booked for the tour notified them \u201cthat they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup.\u201d Robert Kraft, who owns Gillette Stadium just outside of Boston, confirmed as much<\/a>, saying the location is committed to \u201cproviding a welcoming environment for all guests and ensuring that all events held at our venue do not provide a platform for hate speech.\u201d<\/p>\n