Source : Perth Now news
Pro-Palestine protests have been planned ahead of Ed Sheeran’s concert at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Saturday night (Sunday AEST).
Sheeran’s is due to take the stage for the first stop on his US tour since Macklemore was dropped from the line-up over comments he made about Gaza during a show in New Jersey.
A coalition of pro-Palestinian protesters detailed plans to rally outside the stadium before the concert.
In a post shared on Instagram, The Philly Palestine Coalition and Shut Down D& shared plans to “take to the streets to return the conversation to Palestine, and return Philadelphia to action”.
The post said the issue went beyond one artist or one concert, raising questions about free speech and whether Macklemore’s support for Palestinian rights played a role in his removal.
This week all of the support acts for the British singer’s The Loop tour announced they were dropping out of the remaining dates after Macklemore’s removal.
Sheeran’s backing band Beoga said they were stepping down, writing in a statement on Instagram that they “fully supported” Macklemore’s message.
The 35-year-old English singer’s tour is due to wrap up in Mexico City in December, with a total of 18 shows still scheduled across North and South America.
Tickets for Sheeran’s Philadelphia concert are being sold for as low as $US76.
Some of the acts who have dropped out of Sheeran’s tour include Irish singer Aaron Rowe, Grammy award-winning musician Finneas, who is Billie Eilish’s brother, and Danish singer Lukas Graham.
On Monday, Macklemore claimed Sheeran and his team had “made the decision to remove” him from the Loop Tour.
In a response on the social media platform, Sheeran said the rapper’s departure from the tour was the promoter’s decision and not his.
He said “upcoming tour dates had communicated that they would pull the shows if he was still supporting”, and added Robert Kraft, owner of the Gillette Stadium where he was due to play, was among them.
Sheeran added: “I am not complicit.
“I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because 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 support causes in my own personal way.”
The Shape Of You singer said he was “appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine”, and added he respected Macklemore “as an artist”.
