Home · Entertainment · Sep 14 archive
Macklemore Removed from Ed Sheeran Tour After Pro-Palestine Speech
Confirmed
In Short: Rapper Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran's US tour after making pro-Palestinian comments during a concert.
Rapper Macklemore, a long-time pro-Palestine activist, was removed from Ed Sheeran's tour after making pro-Palestinian comments during a concert at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4.
The controversy grew after the Israeli-American Council petitioned for Sheeran to remove Macklemore from the tour, leading to his eventual dismissal from the lineup.
In a statement, Macklemore criticized Sheeran for not taking a stance, while Sheeran defended his position, stating he does not speak for Israel or any government.
American businessman Robert Kraft, owner of the Gillette Stadium, banned Macklemore, accusing him of 'a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric' and 'hate speech'.
Macklemore stood by his comments, emphasizing the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza, while Sheeran's tour promoter reported that venues informed them Macklemore's 'free Palestine' comments led to his removal.
What's confirmed
- Rapper Macklemore, a long-time pro-Palestine activist, was removed from Ed Sheeran's tour after making pro-Palestinian comments during a concert at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4.
- The controversy grew after the Israeli-American Council petitioned for Sheeran to remove Macklemore from the tour, leading to his eventual dismissal from the lineup.
- In a statement, Macklemore criticized Sheeran for not taking a stance, while Sheeran defended his position, stating he does not speak for Israel or any government.
- American businessman Robert Kraft, owner of the Gillette Stadium, banned Macklemore, accusing him of 'a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric' and 'hate speech'.
- Macklemore stood by his comments, emphasizing the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza, while Sheeran's tour promoter reported that venues informed them Macklemore's 'free Palestine' comments led to his removal.
What's still developing
- In his statement on Instagram, which was nearly 1,000 words long, Macklemore said that after a week of "difficult conversations" with Sheeran, that ultimately ended "in a place of fundamental disagreement", he was dropped from the lineup.
- "I agree with Macklemore, too many lives have been lost and there has been too much suffering, but only sharing selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas is not honest and only advances more divisiveness and hate," Kraft said.
- The artist - whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty - had been the opening act for Sheeran's Loop tour, but was criticised by Jewish groups after saying "Free Palestine" at two concerts and making political speeches.
- Ed Sheeran has not yet commented, and who will replace Macklemore for the rest of the tour is unknown.
- He told the audience: "A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so that I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very, very dear to my heart: Free Palestine." He then performed his song Hind's Hall, which condemns Israel's military action in Gaza, while video footage of the devastation in Gaza was shown on the big screen.
- On Monday (Sept. 14), Messina Touring Group, the promoter for Sheeran’s Loop Tour, reported that Macklemore had been booted from his role on the U.S. leg of Sheeran’s current tour after a group of NFL venues, including Kraft’s Gillette Stadium, informed the company that they would not allow the concerts to take place due to Macklemore’s “free Palestine” comments during a show at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
- If the lineup had continued as originally announced, Macklemore would have had eight more support dates on Sheeran’s Loop Tour on his schedule.
- “One of the reasons why I wanted to come on this tour was because I wanted to stand up here on stages and stadiums across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine. … I want those words to be loud and clear, so the people from Gaza all the way to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten them,” Macklemore told the crowd during a recent New York show, as seen in the video above.