SEATTLE — Seattle-born rapper Macklemore released a new song Monday about the Israel-Hamas war with all proceeds, he says, benefiting United Nations relief workers.
Macklemore, born Benjamin Haggerty, released the single and accompanying music video on X.
The song, titled “Hind’s Hall,” references demonstrators at a Columbia University protest that launched a nationwide movement of college students protesting the war in Gaza across the country.
Columbia University protesters seized Hamilton Hall and renamed the building Hind Hall, after 5-year-old Hind Rajab’s panicked call to paramedics before her death in Gaza sparked international attention, according to The Associated Press.
Since Columbia University’s protest started April 18, more than 2,500 people have been arrested at student protests across 50 college campuses, according to AP.
In Seattle, hundreds of protesters at the University of Washington calling for a cease-fire and for the university to “materially divest from Israel,” pitched tents in the heart of campus last week. Protesters intend to stay until the university ends its century-old relationship with Boeing, among other actions.
On Friday, the university rejected protesters’ calls to cut ties with the aerospace and defense manufacturer, reiterating President Ana Mari Cauce’s February stance against the demand.
“Boeing’s support for the UW in time, talent and funding cannot be replaced by other endowment sources, nor would we choose to sever our relationship if they could be,” she had written in an email to individuals and groups protesting violence against Palestinians.
At his sold-out December show at Climate Pledge Arena, Macklemore addressed the Israel-Hamas war for several minutes, saying he would rather be “raw and real than polished and fake.”
“When I say free Palestine, it’s not against anyone,” the rapper said to loud cheers. “It actually means we should protect everyone. It means equality for all. Respect, peace and love. A right to exist no matter what sector you’re from.”
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