Skip to Content

Last night, a grand jury in Ferguson, MO decided not to indict police officer Darren Wilson in connection with the shooting of Michael Brown.

While most celebrity responses to the grand jury’s decision consisted of outraged tweets and pleas for peace, at least one A-list recording artist took to the streets to join the citizens of Ferguson in protest:

The Hollywood Gossip Logo

Rapper Macklemore attempted to blend in with the crowd while participating in a peaceful demonstration, but he was quickly spotted by a TMZ cameraman.

Asked why he’d decided to join the protesters, Macklemore responded, "It’s not about me; it’s about Michael Brown."

 

Hip hop artist Q-Tip also joined the demonstrations, but for the most part, celebrities who disagree with the grand jury’s decision have stuck to expressing their anger through social media rants.

Now, the question remains: will other celebrities follow in Macklemore’s footsteps in an effort to help keep the nation’s attention focused on Ferguson, or do famous faces simply distract from the issues at hand?

While images of burning buildings and heavily-armed police officers continue to dominate the national media’s coverage, the majority of Ferguson protests have been peaceful, and most violent outbursts have reportedly been quickly contained.

But while high-profile protesters may be unlikely to come to any harm, it’s doubtful that we’ll see a mass migration from Hollywood to this beleaguered St. Louis suburb.

The situation in Ferguson will likely remain volatile for several days to come, and it’s one situation that doesn’t require the star power in order to hole the nation’s interest.

UPDATE: While several outlets reported that Macklemore traveled to Ferguson for the protests, witnesses now say that he simply joined a group of demonstrators in his native Seattle.