All of Ed Sheeran’s remaining support acts have pulled out of his tour amid mounting criticism after Macklemore was removed from the bill due to comments he made on the tour stage in support of a Palestinian state.
Phineas, who was scheduled to open for Sheeran in November on the South American leg of the World Championships How you look The singer’s Loop Tour was pulled on Tuesday, with him writing in an Instagram post, “Artists should not be silenced when they speak out for oppressed people. I have decided to pull out of my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran. I stand with Palestine and its people.”
He withdrew hours after Sheeran posted a lengthy statement on Instagram, citing pressure from concert venues to remove Macklemore from the tour after he said “Free Palestine” on stage at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4, and that the people of Gaza and the “occupied West Bank” had not forgotten, before performing his song. Hind Hall, Concerning pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Colombia.
Sheeran said it was the tour promoter, not him, who made the decision to remove the Grammy Award-winning artist, and that he spoke with billionaire businessman and owner of Gillette Stadium, Robert Kraft, among other venue owners who he said would refuse to let him play unless he dropped Macklemore from the tour.
“I am not complicit. I have my own opinions about this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak out doesn’t mean I don’t have them, and it doesn’t mean I don’t care.” Sheeran wrote.
Irish singer Aaron Rowe, who was scheduled to perform at 10 of Sheeran’s North American shows, also canceled Tuesday, saying he “cannot stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the legitimate voices of those who speak out against Israeli genocide.”
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“Ed was a friend of mine and changed my life, and I can never thank him enough for that,” he said.
“But as Irish people, we know all too well genocide, forced starvation and violent occupation,” Rowe added.
He concluded by saying: “I need to be honest with myself and with my ancestors who resisted colonialism and fought for the freedom that I enjoy today in Ireland.”
Sheeran’s backing band Beoga announced shortly after Rowe pulled out of the tour “following Macklemore’s silencing by Zionist lobbyists”.
“We are a traditional Irish band who never saw ourselves playing stadiums of this size, and we are not missing out on this opportunity,” the band wrote on social media. “We have been friends with Ed for more than 10 years and will continue to be so. We believe in dialogue as a way to improve the plight of the Palestinian people.”
Backing pop band Lucas Graham also pulled out on Tuesday.
“We should be able to talk about war, about civilians being killed, about children who deserve to grow up. Wherever they live. Whatever flag flies above them,” lead singer Lukas Forchhammer wrote on the band’s Instagram page.
“Money doesn’t give you the right to own the conversation. No one’s bank balance should decide who gets to talk or whose suffering we’re allowed to acknowledge.”
The statement continued: “I love Ed, and I’m grateful for everything we shared. That hasn’t changed. But I can’t put these words out into the world and continue this tour the way things are now.”
While there letter In New Jersey, McLemore addressed the Jewish community directly.
“To all my Jewish brothers and sisters: criticizing Israel, criticizing apartheid, being against genocide does not in any way constitute a criticism of you.”
“My message is for peace; for the love that all human beings are treated with dignity, respect and equality. So I say free Palestine, I say free Lebanon, I say free Cuba, I say free Congo, free Sudan, free for all the people in America who live in fear of this terrorist organization, ICE. None of us will be free until we are all free.”
The Israeli American Council I launched a petition Following McLemore’s comments, Sheeran demanded that he be removed from the tour.
“This was an Ed Sheeran concert – not a political rally, not a protest, and not an activist event. The issue is not whether Macklemore has the right to hold political views. The question is where to draw the line when the opening act uses a global music platform to advance a one-sided political agenda,” the petition read.
After his dismissal, can’t hold us The rapper said that Sheeran, whom he described as a “brother” to him, was “in an evolving situation”.
“He knew it,” McLemore wrote. “His typically apolitical stance was challenged in a way that had never been done before. He told me that the phrase ‘Free Palestine’ and the image of the Palestinian flag were offensive to many of the people he spoke to. I told him that if those words were more offensive than the tens of thousands of Palestinian children Israel is killing, then there was a fundamental disconnect between where these people stood and where I stood. But he couldn’t get past his public confrontation, ‘I don’t take sides.’” McLemore wrote.
Celebrities, performers and activists commented on social media in support of McLemore.
Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton wrote: “Thank you for using your voice and standing with you.”
Greta Thunberg said: “Full solidarity and free Palestine. The artists’ very active silence in the face of injustice and genocide will not be forgotten.”
This is not the first time the rapper has faced criticism for his actions while performing.
In 2014, McLemore appeared on stage with a black beard, a wig and a prosthetic nose at a show in Seattle, which Jewish activist groups said at the time resembled an anti-Semitic caricature of an Orthodox Jew.
McLemore later apologized for the costume, saying: “I acknowledge how, in the context of stereotypes, the costume could be attributed to a Jewish cartoon.”
“I’m here to say that was absolutely not my intention, and unfortunately at the time I did not expect the outfit to be viewed in that regard.”
—With files from Global News’ Katie Scott
