Macklemore banned from Ed Sheeran tour over pro-Palestinian comments

After his pro-Palestinian statements at pop star Ed Sheeran's concerts, US rapper Macklemore has been removed from the British singer's supporting program on tour. “Ed Sheeran and his team have decided to exclude me from The Loop Tour,” Macklemore said in a post on the Instagram platform. Several venues had announced that they would not allow a concert with Macklemore in the line-up, US media quoted tour organizer Messina Touring Group as saying.

According to media reports, the 43-year-old said at concerts: "One of the reasons why I wanted to take part in this tour was that I can stand here on stages and in stadiums all over America and say two words that are very close to my heart: Free Palestine." In a clip on Instagram he says: "To all my Jewish brothers and sisters: criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, the rejection of genocide - this is in no way a criticism of you. My message is about peace, love, ensuring that all people are treated with dignity, respect and equality."

Pro-Israel organization launches petition

According to the media, the Israeli-American Council (IAC) organization then launched a petition calling on Ed Sheeran not to allow the rapper to continue performing on his tour.