Ed Sheeran breaks his silence, apologizes for Macklemore’s removal and calls situation in Gaza “unjustifiable”
Ed Sheeran performed a solo concert at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday after all of his opening acts withdrew from the Loop Tour in solidarity with rapper Macklemore, who was removed from the lineup following comments in support of Palestinians.
During the concert, Sheeran became visibly emotional while addressing the controversy and the situation in Gaza. He said the October 7 attacks on Israel were “horrific,” but described what is happening to civilians in Gaza as “catastrophic, unjustifiable and disproportionate.”
Sheeran also apologized to the audience, saying the past week had involved difficult decisions, some of which resulted in mistakes. He said the issue was humanitarian and that he could no longer hide how he felt about it.
Macklemore had been removed from the tour following comments supporting Palestinians, including a “Free Palestine” statement. His departure was followed by several other artists who had been scheduled to perform alongside Sheeran.
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After leaving the tour, Macklemore said he would donate the $1 million he received for his participation to six organizations providing humanitarian assistance to Palestinians.
