Which artists have pulled out of Ed Sheeran’s tour over Palestine?
Supporting acts of Sheeran's US tour have quit in solidarity with Macklemore, banned for saying 'Free Palestine'.
All supporting acts for English pop star Ed Sheeran’s upcoming US Loop Tour have quit in solidarity with rapper Macklemore, who was dropped from the tour for supporting Palestine.
Some of the other artists are Irish and have cited their own country’s historical experience of suffering under occupation as the reason for their opposition to Israel’s illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories.
Macklemore, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, drew criticism after saying “Free Palestine” and making other pro-Palestine comments while on tour with Sheeran at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey earlier this month.
Macklemore defended his statements, and also his performance of the song Hind’s Hall – dedicated to Hind Rajab, the five-year-old girl killed by Israeli forces while stranded inside a car in Gaza – by stating that “wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial”.