4 supporting acts quit Ed Sheeran tour amid backlash over Macklemore ousting
Rapper was dropped as opening act after venues boycotted his presence over 'Free Palestine' comments
Hours after singer Ed Sheeran addressed the backlash over rapper Macklemore being ousted from his tour for pro-Palestinian comments onstage, four supporting acts have quit Sheeran's tour.
Sheeran said in a statement Tuesday that he is "appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine," calling the suffering on "both sides" a "human tragedy," but defended his choice not to take a public stance.
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he → support → stance
After he put Macklemore's removal solely on venues and promoters, supporting acts Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham, Beoga and Finneas announced that they were withdrawing from Sheeran's tour to stand in solidarity with Palestinians.
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they → put → Palestinians
Sheeran said upcoming venues contacted him after his shows at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium earlier this month, saying they would pull his performances if Macklemore, 43, was not removed as his opening act, because of "how Macklemore conveyed part of his message during his performance," the singer said.
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singer → say → performance
Videos from the performances, which have drawn criticism from pro-Israel groups, show the rapper repeating "Free Palestine" to a cheering crowd and expressing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
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rapper → draw → Gaza
In his speech at the second show on Sept. 5, he addressed Jewish audience members, saying, "criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, is in no way is a criticism of you.
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criticism → address → you
"My message is for peace; love for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect and equality.
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love → treat → dignity
In his statement, Sheeran said, "Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter's decision, it was not mine.
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it → say → tour
He added that while he tried to "build a bridge," the venues would not change their minds.
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venues → add → minds
Sheeran's band, openers leave
Rowe, one of the co-openers for the remaining U.S. shows, said Sheeran was a friend who had changed his life.
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who → remain → life
But the Irish artist cited his country'' history with "genocide, forced famine and violent occupation," as one of the reasons he's dropping out of the tour.
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he → cite → tour
"I need to be true to myself and my ancestors who resisted colonisation, and fought for a freedom that I enjoy today in Ireland."
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I → need → Ireland
The sentiments were echoed by Beoga, an Irish band who said they would no longer be serving as Sheeran's backing band for the remaining U.S. tour dates.
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they → echo → dates
"To play in venues that silence anyone advocating for a Free Palestine is simply not an option for us," the band wrote on Instagram.
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band → play → Instagram
"As founding members of the Irish Artists For Palestine movement, we are committed activists for justice and will continue to be."
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we → found → justice
Danish artist Lukas Graham, who would've opened in the U.S. alongside Rowe, said on Instagram that it's a "difficult decision" to leave the tour, but that "we should be able to talk about war, about civilians being killed, about children who deserve to grow up.
"
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who → open → children
Money doesn't give the right to own the conversation."
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Money → give → conversation
Finneas, who is Billie Eilish's brother and musical collaborator, shared on Instagram that he would be dropping out of upcoming tour dates with Sheeran in South America.
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he → share → America
"Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed," he wrote.
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he → silence → oppressed
Macklemore said in a statement Monday that although Sheeran is "a friend" it doesn't "change my responsibility to tell the truth about what happened."
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what → say → truth
"He told me that the words 'Free Palestine' and the image of the Palestinian flag were hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with.
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he → tell → people
I told him that if those words were more offensive than tens of thousands of Palestinian children being killed by Israel, then there was a fundamental disconnect between where those people stood and where I stood.
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I → tell → stood
But he couldn't get past his public facing, 'I don't take sides.'
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I → get → sides
During his set, Macklemore also displayed images of the devastation in Gaza while performing his song, Hind's Hall, about pro-Palestinian student protests, which references Hind Rajab, a child killed by Israeli forces in Gaza.
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which → display → Gaza
Amnesty International and a United Nations commission have said Israel's actions in Gaza constitute a genocide.
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actions → say → genocide
Israel has denied these allegations.
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Israel → deny → allegations
Billionaire Robert Kraft, who owns the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, was one of the people behind the call for Macklemore's removal, Sheeran confirmed.
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Sheeran → own → removal
Kraft, a staunch supporter of Israel, said in a statement shared with CBC News Monday that his stadium would "not provide a platform for hate speech," stating Macklemore spread divisiveness through "selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas.
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Macklemore → say → Hamas
"
Backlash against Sheeran was swift online following Macklemore's exit, with critics slamming Sheeran's apolitical stance.
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critics → follow → stance
"I am not complicit," Sheeran said in his statement.
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Sheeran → say → statement
"I have my personal views on this devastating conflict.
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I → have → conflict
Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn't mean I don't have them, and it doesn't mean I don't care."
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I → choose → them
Sheeran said he refrains from weighing in on global events because his audience "includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds.
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audience → say → backgrounds
"
But children's content creator Ms. Rachel, pointed out Tuesday the hypocrisy behind Sheeran participating in charity efforts for Ukraine while considering "Palestine too dangerous and political."
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Palestine → point → Ukraine
"Imagine being a Palestinian kid and seeing he did a concert for Ukraine but when over 20,000 Palestinian children are killed he's silent," she wrote in an Instagram post.
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she → imagine → post
Sheeran was one of the artists who performed at the "Concert for Ukraine" benefit concert in Birmingham, England, in 2022.
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who → perform → 2022
UN rights chief says uncovered remains in Gaza raise concerns of war crimes
Gaza doc NAZA earns 24.5-minute standing ovation at Venice premiere
In search for senior Hamas operative, Israeli raid on Gaza City camp kills 3 children
The situation has put a renewed spotlight on how artists who speak up about Gaza often face increased scrutiny.
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who → uncover → scrutiny
Actors have been dropped from projects or agencies for taking public pro-Palestinian stances.
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Actors → drop → stances
Sheeran's tour will continue for its remaining eight dates without Macklemore.
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tour → continue → Macklemore
It ends its run at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., a venue which hosted two Kanye West shows earlier this summer despite calls for cancellation over West's well-documented history of virulent antisemitic statements.
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which → end → statements
The Aporia
