Ed Sheeran speaks on Gaza in concert after Macklemore controversy

British pop star Ed Sheeran has addressed the Israel-Palestine conflict, following a row over Macklemore's removal as a supporting act on the tour after the US rapper made pro-Palestinian comments on stage.

Performing in Philadelphia on Saturday night, the first concert since the controversy erupted, Sheeran said the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack, which killed around 1,200 people and saw dozens taken hostage, was "horrific."

He also described Israel's subsequent war in Gaza, which killed more than 70,000 people, as "catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate."

Sheeran also condemned the "systemic injustice" in the occupied West Bank, where the Israeli government is pushing to expand Jewish settlements, which the United Nations has called a "flagrant violation of international law."

"I don't want to disappoint fans, and I've never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet," Sheeran said.

"I've had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I'm so, so sorry," he said.

Sheeran's latest statement was a reversal from his earlier stance on Instagram, when he said that his concert audiences "do not expect a political forum."

Ed Sheeran tour drops Macklemore after Gaza speech

How did the controversy occur?

The pop singer's tour faced controversy after rapper Macklemore was dropped as a supporting act after he said "Free Palestine" at the opening of Sheeran's US Loop Tour in New Jersey in early September.

Sheeran has denied being responsible, saying venues had threatened to cancel shows if Macklemore remained on the tour.

Macklemore posted on Instagram that billionaire Robert Kraft had told Sheeran that the rapper would not be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, which he owns.

Several supporting acts subsequently withdrew in solidarity with Macklemore, including musician Finneas, Danish band Lukas Graham and Irish singer Aaron Rowe, as well as Sheeran's backing band — leaving one of the best-selling musical artists of all time without an opening act.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest outside concert venue

Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters rallied peacefully outside Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field before Sheeran's concert, waving Palestinian flags and chanting "Free, free Palestine."

Among the demonstrators was 18-year-old Brandon Ateke, who accused Sheeran of "complicity" with Kraft and others in silencing Macklemore.

"I decided to not attend the concert and instead attend the protest to bring light to the genocide going on in Gaza today," Ateke told AFP news agency.

The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), a pro-Palestinian group, has called for a boycott of Sheeran's world tour.

Edited by: Karl Sexton

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