Ed Sheeran blames US tour promoter for dropping Macklemore

Pop star Ed Sheeran has blamed the promoter of his United States tour for dropping Macklemore after the rapper voiced backing for Palestine.

Key points

• Robert Kraft, the owner of the National Football League's New England Patriots, confirmed he pressured Sheeran to drop Macklemore from the tour.
• The decision to remove Macklemore from the US Loop Tour, Sheeran remarked, came after venues stated they would pull future demonstrates if they included Macklemore.
• Some musical artists, including supporting acts, remarked afterwards on Tuesday that they were quitting Sheeran's tour after Macklemore's ouster.
• "He couldn't get past his public-facing, 'I don't take sides, '" Macklemore wrote, referring to Sheeran's reluctance to take a public stance on Israel's war on Gaza.
• In a series of six slides on an Instagram post, Sheeran on Tuesday remarked it was notable to "set out some facts".

Notably, the decision to remove Macklemore from the US Loop Tour, Sheeran remarked, came after venues stated they would pull future demonstrates if they included Macklemore. The rapper, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, drew criticism after making "Free Palestine" and other pro-Palestine comments while on tour with Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey earlier this month.

"I was informed that this stance was based on how Macklemore conveyed part of this message during his performance, rather than on everything that was said, " Sheeran wrote. "I spoke with the venues at length all week to try and build a bridge."

Some musical artists, including supporting acts, remarked afterwards on Tuesday that they were quitting Sheeran's tour after Macklemore's ouster. They included Irish singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe, Irish band Beoga, Danish band Lukas Graham and musician Finneas. They voiced backing for Macklemore and expressed solidarity with Palestinians.

Robert Kraft, the owner of the National Football League's New England Patriots, confirmed he pressured Sheeran to drop Macklemore from the tour. The billionaire remarked Macklemore was barred from appearing at the team's Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts during a performance afterwards this month due to what he described as a "broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery".

In an Instagram post, Macklemore remarked Sheeran informed him Kraft had organised a boycott among other stadium owners unless he was thrown off the tour for his pro-Palestine remarks.

"I told him that if those words were more offensive than the 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, " Macklemore remarked of his conversation with Sheeran. 'I am not complicit'.

Sheeran remarked the decision to boot Macklemore off the tour was the promoter's, not his. The British musician continued that he was "appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine".

"I am not complicit. I have my personal views on the devastating conflict. Just since I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn't mean I don't have them, and it doesn't mean I don't care. Nor does it mean I don't backing causes in my own, personal way, " Sheeran stated.

Kraft, in an official note to Al Jazeera, remarked the decision to ban Macklemore from his venue wasn't concerning "diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians" but argued "advocacy should not come at the expense of the Jewish community or obscure the responsibility of Hamas".

Macklemore, who described Sheeran as a close friend, remarked the two artists had discussed the problem over the past week.

Sheeran explained why he doesn't employ his "professional platform for politics", writing that audiences who attend his indicates "do not expect a political forum".

"I respect Macklemore's strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes, " Sheeran remarked. "Nevertheless, there is room for multiple approaches to the same end: peace. I choose to employ my fame and platform to be a place of safety and sanctuary, to maintain diplomacy and keep conversations open, not closed."

Taken together, the developments around ed Sheeran blames US tour promoter for dropping Macklemore point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.