Following the removal of rapper Macklemore from Ed Sheeran’s tour after he said “Free Palestine,” opening acts Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Beoga, and Lukas Graham, who were scheduled to perform on the tour, have also decided to withdraw. Finneas stated, “Artists should not be silenced when they raise their voices for the oppressed,” while Rowe remarked that he could not remain a bystander to the silencing of those speaking out against the oppression faced by Palestinians. On September 4, Macklemore expressed support for the people of Gaza and the occupied West Bank during a Sheeran concert, saying “Free Palestine.” It was subsequently reported that he was removed from the tour following pressure from some stadium owners and a campaign launched by the Israeli-American Council.

Yeni Asya English