- The Croydon rapper released a statement addressing what he described as a “twisted narrative.”
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Stormzy has addressed allegations of deleting pro-Palestine social media posts in the wake of signing a multi-million-pound brand deal with McDonald’s.
Published via Instagram Stories last Friday, February 21st, the Croydon rapper spoke of a “twisted narrative,” and denied that the deletion of the posts was linked to the partnership with the fast food giant. “I didn’t archive the post where I came out in support of Palestine for any reason outside of me archiving loads of Instagram posts last year,” he wrote. “I spoke about #FreePalestine, oppression and injustice, and my stance on this hasn’t changed.”
Stormzy received heavy backlash after announcing the partnership, believed to be worth around £4.5 million, in an Instagram post on February 12th. This criticism was ramped up further when followers noticed that a previous post where he had expressed his support for a free Palestine had been deleted.
McDonald’s has been criticised for its perceived support for Israel during the ongoing genocide. The firm’s Israeli franchise gave away thousands of free meals to Israeli soldiers, sparking boycotts across the Middle East, Indonesia, France and more.
Peace & Justice Project, a non-profit led by former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, urged the grime artist to abandon the deal. “Israel’s sustained oppression of the Palestinian people has been well-documented for many years, and worldwide attention to the movement for a free Palestine has peaked since the start of the genocide in Gaza,” the open letter read. “Stormzy’s decision to partner with McDonald’s allows them to culture-wash their reputation as caterers of genocide in Gaza.”
Read Stormzy’s statement in full, and sign Peace & Justice Project’s open letter.
