By Aleksandra Michalska and Nolan D. McCaskill
PHILADELPHIA, Sept 19 (Reuters) – Ed Sheeran fans attending the pop star’s Philadelphia concert on Saturday said they still support the English singer-songwriter despite a controversy over Macklemore being pulled from the tour over his remarks on Palestine.
Addressing the issue from the stage, Sheeran told the crowd he had made “mistakes” during “difficult decisions,” according to the BBC.
“I never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about free speech and the most complex political issue on the planet,” he said, according to the British broadcaster.
Sheeran’s show at Lincoln Financial Field marked his first performance since rapper Macklemore announced he had been removed as one of the tour’s opening acts after saying “Free Palestine” at a show early this month. The tour’s other supporting acts subsequently quit to show solidarity with Macklemore.
The controversy did not matter to people who spoke to Reuters on Saturday before Sheeran took to the stage.
Joy VanRuler, a 55-year-old teacher from Pottstown, Pennsylvania, said she supports both artists.
“It doesn’t need to be political,” VanRuler said in an interview outside the stadium in Philadelphia. “It’s about the music, and we support both of them and it’s all good.”
Macklemore “shouldn’t have talked about politics,” said Javier Hernandez, a 62-year-old designer from Allentown, Pennsylvania, whose daughter invited him to the concert. “It gives the people an opportunity to raise their voices and just make a mess of the whole situation. He should have just left it alone.”
Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered about half a mile from the concert venue ahead of Sheeran’s performance. Organizers said they were there to talk to people about the conditions on the ground in Gaza and to highlight local groups advocating for Palestinians.
Macklemore posted on Instagram this week that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft had told Sheeran that Macklemore would not be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where Sheeran has shows on September 25 and 26. Kraft said in a statement that Macklemore would not perform at those shows.
Macklemore said Kraft and other stadium owners had told Sheeran he would not be allowed to perform in their venues if Macklemore remained on the tour.
Macklemore said “Free Palestine” during a September 4 concert at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
“If those words cost me the stage, while turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I’ve been on,” Macklemore wrote this week.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Sheeran said the promoter was responsible for removing Macklemore and that he has “personal views on this devastating conflict” despite being publicly apolitical.
“Those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum,” Sheeran wrote.
(Reporting by Aleksandra Michalska in Philadelphia and Nolan D. McCaskill in Washington; Editing by Sergio Non and William Mallard)
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