All of Ed Sheeran‘s remaining support acts have dropped out of his tour amid growing criticism after Macklemore was removed from the bill for comments he made on the tour stage in support of a Palestinian state.
Finneas, who was scheduled to open for Sheeran in November on the South American leg of the Shape of You singer’s Loop Tour, pulled out Tuesday, writing in an Instagram post, “Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed. I have decided to withdraw from 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 Sept. 4, and that the people of Gaza and the “occupied West Bank” had not been forgotten, before performing his song Hind’s Hall, about pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia.
Sheeran said the tour promoter, not he, made the decision to remove the Grammy-winning artist, and that he had spoken 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 personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I chose not to speak publicly, it 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 shows in North America, also cancelled Tuesday, saying he “cannot stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up against Israeli genocide.”
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“Ed has been a friend to me and has changed my life, I could never thank him enough for this,” he said.
“But as Irish people, we know all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation,” Rowe added.
“I need to be true to myself and my ancestors who resisted colonisation, and fought for a freedom that I enjoy today in Ireland,” he concluded.
Sheeran’s backing band Beoga announced shortly after Rowe that it was pulling out of the tour, “following the silencing of Macklemore by Zionist lobbies.”
“We are a traditional Irish band who never saw ourselves playing in stadiums of that size, and that opportunity is not lost on us,” the band wrote on social media. “We have been friends with Ed for over 10 years now and will continue to be. We believe in dialogue as a means of progressing the plight of the Palestinian people.”
Support act pop band Lukas Graham also withdrew on Tuesday.
“We should be able to speak about war, about civilians being killed, about children who deserve to grow up. Wherever they live. Whatever flag flies over them,” lead singer Lukas Forchhammer wrote on the band’s Instagram page.
“Money doesn’t give you the right to own the conversation. Nobody’s bank balance should decide who gets to speak or which suffering we’re allowed to acknowledge.”
“I love Ed, and I am grateful for everything we’ve shared. That hasn’t changed. But I can’t put these words out in the world and carry on with this tour as things stand,” the statement continued.
During his speech in New Jersey, Macklemore addressed the Jewish community directly.
“To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you”
“My message is for peace; love for all human beings to be 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 all people in America living in fear of this terrorist organization, ICE. None of us will be free until we are all free.”
The Israeli-American Council launched a petition following Macklemore’s comments, calling for Sheeran to remove him 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 the line should be drawn when an opening act uses a global concert platform to advance a one-sided political agenda,” the petition read.
After his removal, The Can’t Hold Us rapper noted that Sheeran, who he said is like a “brother” to him, was “in a f—ed up position.”
“He knew it. His typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before. 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. 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. But he couldn’t get past his public facing, ‘I don’t take sides,’” Macklemore wrote.
Celebrities, performers and activists have commented on social media in support of Macklemore.
“Thank you for using your voice, standing with you,” seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton wrote.
“Full solidarity and free Palestine. Artists’ very active silence in the face of injustice and genocide will not be forgotten,” Greta Thunberg said.
This is not the first time the rapper has faced criticism for his actions while performing.
In 2014, Macklemore appeared on stage wearing a black beard, wig and prosthetic nose at a show in Seattle, which Jewish activist groups said at the time resembled an antisemitic caricature of an Orthodox Jew.
Macklemore later apologized for his attire, saying, “I acknowledge how the costume could, within a context of stereotyping, be ascribed to a Jewish caricature,” he wrote.
“I am here to say that it was absolutely not my intention and unfortunately at the time I did not foresee the costume to be viewed in such regard.”
— With files from Global News’ Katie Scott