Zach Bryan wears a “Free Palestine” t-shirt during a concert at Gillette Stadium weeks after the Macklemore-Robert Kraft controversy

Weeks after rapper Macklemore was Banned from opening for Ed Sheeran at Gillette Stadium After making pro-Palestinian comments, musician Zach Bryan wore a shirt reading “Free Palestine” during his concert at the venue on Friday.

Bryan was playing the first of two concerts at Gillette Stadium. The second show is scheduled for Saturday evening.

The full text on Bryan’s shirt read “Free Palestine” and “A Call to Heaven” with a pine tree logo. Some members of Bryan’s group wore shirts with similar messages.

According to a 2024 Associated Press article, “A Call to Heaven” is a phrase dating back to the Revolutionary War and appeared on the official maritime flag of Massachusetts until 1971. The phrase came from the belief that God would deliver the colonists from tyranny.

WBZ-TV has reached out to Gillette Stadium for comment, but has not yet received a response.

Macklemore was dropped from musician Ed Sheeran’s “Loop” tour after belting out “Free Palestine” last month during a concert at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Macklemore was scheduled to perform at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro with Sheeran, but New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who also owns the stadium, called Sheeran to tell him that Macklemore would not be allowed to perform at the venue.

“Based on Macklemore’s recent actions, material shared from the stage at the Ed Sheeran concerts in New Jersey, and a broader history of anti-Semitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe have been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community, we have determined that his participation in the September 25 and 26 concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross this line,” Kraft wrote in a statement. statement after Macklemore’s remarks.

Macklemore said in an Instagram post that “anti-Semitism is real,” but argued that criticizing Israel and saying “free Palestine” should not be confused with Jewish hatred.

Every other support band on Sheeran’s tour dropped out in solidarity with Macklemore.

Since then, Macklemore has committed to donating $1 million to support the Palestinians. He also asked Kraft to match his donation.
Kraft released a statement saying he had already spoken to Sheeran about the pop star’s $2 million pledge.

Sheeran’s Gillette concerts were scheduled for September 25 and 26 but were canceled due to nor’easter hitting the region this weekend.