Canadian Muslims for Palestine strongly condemns reports that seven stadium owners pressured Ed Sheeran to remove Macklemore from his U.S. tour because of his support for the Palestinian people and opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
No musician should face threats or censorship for speaking out against the killing of Palestinian civilians. Publicly owned venues must also respect freedom of expression and the First Amendment.
We call on Ed Sheeran, tour promoters, and the stadiums involved to reject this pressure and stand against censorship. These venues should publicly clarify whether they participated in efforts to cancel, restrict, or alter the tour because of Macklemore’s advocacy for Palestine.
Macklemore has faced backlash for speaking openly in support of Palestine and condemning the killing of Palestinians. His right to speak must be protected. Silencing voices for Palestine is an attack on free expression.