New York, Sept. 17 (SANA) Several artists have withdrawn from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour in solidarity with rapper Macklemore after he was dropped from the lineup following pro-Palestinian remarks at a concert.
Macklemore said he was removed after telling an audience at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sept. 4, “Free Palestine,” while criticizing Israeli actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Sheeran said the decision to remove Macklemore was made by tour organizers and venue owners, not by him.
“The decision to remove Macklemore from the tour was not my decision but that of the organizer,” Sheeran wrote on Instagram on Tuesday.
Sheeran said venue owners at upcoming U.S. stops had opposed Macklemore’s continued participation and that efforts to reach a compromise had failed.
The Israeli American Council, a pro-Israel advocacy group, had urged Sheeran to remove Macklemore from the tour.
Macklemore, who has repeatedly voiced support for Palestinian rights, had been scheduled to perform at eight of the tour’s 10 remaining stadium shows. He said Wednesday that he would donate $1 million from his earnings to Palestinian relief organizations.
Finneas, Danish band Lukas Graham, singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe and Sheeran’s backing band Beoga subsequently withdrew from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.
“Artists should not be silenced when they raise their voices in defense of the oppressed,” Finneas said.
Sheeran said he had his own views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but preferred to keep political discourse separate from his concerts.
“I am not complicit. I have my personal views on this devastating conflict,” Sheeran said, adding that choosing not to speak publicly did not mean he was indifferent.
N.J/ABD
