Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has spoken out about the controversy surrounding Ed Sheeran's US tour, following the removal of Macklemore from the lineup and a wave of subsequent departures by other support acts.
How the controversy started
Macklemore opened for Sheeran during a show at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, delivering a speech in support of Palestine, including the phrase "Free Palestine." Following pushback from pro-Israel groups and reported pressure from stadium venue owners, tour promoter Messina Touring Group confirmed Macklemore had been removed from the remaining support dates to prevent venues from cancelling shows entirely. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft confirmed separately that he had personally decided to ban Macklemore from performing at Gillette Stadium, citing his "recent actions."
What AOC said
Asked by TMZ whether she'd change the channel if Sheeran came on the radio, Ocasio-Cortez responded: "I am." She elaborated: "It's not just what has happened with the act, and not just in removing Macklemore from the line-up. But when you see what Robert Kraft did to line up all of the stadiums to censor speech in that one specific way, it's become clear that this is not just about one music artist or two music artists, but this is about how just a handful of stadium owners and the elite can prevent an entire massive issue, in this case, the genocide in Gaza." She added that the implications extended further, saying: "It could be speaking out about any issue, that you could now just get a handful of stadium owners to ensure that an entire person's career can be jeopardized if they speak out about any issue." She said the least Sheeran could do was speak out about what she described as the abuse of power involved.
Support acts dropping out
Following Macklemore's removal, all of Sheeran's remaining support acts withdrew from the tour, including Aaron Rowe, Finneas, Danish band Lukas Graham, and Irish folk band Beoga. Rowe explained his decision by drawing on Irish history, writing: "As Irish people we know all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation. I cannot stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up against Israeli genocide and who highlight the savage murder of children." Finneas, Billie Eilish's brother, said simply: "Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed."
Sheeran's response
Sheeran addressed the situation on Instagram, saying the decision to remove Macklemore wasn't his own, explaining that venues had communicated they would cancel shows if Macklemore remained on the bill. He said he'd spent the week trying to negotiate directly with venues to find a resolution, and stated he holds personal views on the conflict without detailing them further, saying he wasn't complicit in it.
