Ed Sheeran tearfully opened up about the Gaza/Macklemore situation during his Philadelphia concert and apologized for how he handled it.
Sheeran found himself mired in controversy after his opening act, Macklemore, was dropped from his tour following his “Free Palestine” remarks during his performances, sparking a wave of backlash.
After Macklemore’s removal, other supporting acts left the tour in solidarity, leading to an emotional moment for Sheeran on stage.
Sheeran said that he doesn’t want his music to be about politics, but about unity and humanity. He also condemned the attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, while saying what is happening in Gaza is “catastrophic and unjustifiable.”
“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 continued.
Sheeran’s comments on the matter in front of his nearly sold-out audience at Lincoln Financial Field come after Macklemore, who was his original U.S. opener before he was removed- which Sheeran claims was a decision made by the tour’s promoter, not him after he shouted “Free Palestine” during a Sept. 5 show in New Jersey.
To add insult to injury, supporting acts also pulled out just hours after Sheeran’s statement.
Before Saturday’s show, a small group of pro-Palestinian protesters showed up outside the stadium.
Well, it appears Sheeran’s tearful comments didn’t immediately resonate with folks on social media, with many pointing out that he was reading from a teleprompter and calling it disingenuous.
You can see more reactions below.
