Gaza Genocide · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Ed Sheeran Calls Gaza Situation Unjustifiable at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia
Ed Sheeran called Gaza situation catastrophic and unjustifiable at Philadelphia show. This was his first show since Macklemore was removed for pro-Palestinian remarks.
How to contextualise Oct 7 and Jewish historical pain.
2 of 3 outlets skipped it: a mural of Macklemore wrapped in a Palestinian flag appears in Gaza.
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Same story, two versions
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The Times of Israel
“What happened in Israel and at the Nova music festival on October 7th was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain,”Read the original ↗
DW
“He also described Israel's subsequent war in Gaza as "catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate."”Read the original ↗
The Times of Israel emphasises Jewish historical pain, while DW foregrounds Gaza's humanitarian illegitimacy and proportionality.
Sheeran resumes in Philadelphia
Ed Sheeran resumed his North America Loop Tour with comments on Gaza at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, saying the situation in Gaza is “catastrophic”, “unjustifiable” and “disproportionate”.
“I am making mistakes, and I’m so, so sorry”
In his remarks, Sheeran called the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks “horrific” and said “What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate.”
The BBC reported Sheeran apologised to fans for making “mistakes” at his first show since Macklemore was dropped from the tour over pro-Palestinian remarks on stage.
Sheeran also said he was “deeply worried” by the idea that venues would “pre-approve” content or performers, and the BBC said his remaining tour dates are scheduled with shows set throughout North and South America.
Macklemore row and walkouts
The controversy began in early September when Macklemore was dropped from the lineup after his pro-Palestinian comments, and the BBC said Sheeran told the crowd the decision was made by his promoters, not him.
The BBC said Sheeran described the row as “an important and passionate argument about free speech and the most complex political issue on the planet,” and it quoted him saying he was “making mistakes”.
Billboard’s timeline says Macklemore told the MetLife Stadium crowd on Sept. 4, 2026: “A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine.”
The BBC also reported that all of Sheeran’s four supporting acts, including Finneas, walked out and that Finneas said on Instagram last Tuesday: “I stand with Palestine and its people.”
Protests and wider fallout
Before Sheeran’s Philadelphia show, pro-Palestinian demonstrators rallied outside the stadium, waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Free, free Palestine,” as described by Al Jazeera.
“waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Free, free Palestine””
Al Jazeera quoted Hillary Steinberg, 34, of Philadelphia, saying she got tickets a year ago but got a refund and attended the demonstration instead, adding: “I think all art is political, and all music is political, and so this choice, even though he was saying that he wasn’t complicit, is a political choice.”
The BBC said the row has seen ticket prices drop and sales decline for the remaining US leg of his Loop Tour, and it noted that some fans reported being able to get ticket refunds.
In the same coverage, the BBC said Sheeran told the crowd he wanted to “address the question of where I stand in the situation in Israel and Palestine,” and it reported that protesters waved flags outside the venue while the concert proceeded largely unfettered.