In practice, Sheeran—appearing solo since literally every other musician involved in his Loop Tour resigned in solidarity with Macklemore—addressed a diminished crowd amidst widespread protests about his choice to knuckle under. In Sheeran’s statement, the singer, roundly mocked for sitting on the fence in the face of both corporate pressure and genocide, began by playing both-sides on the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict.
“What happened in Israel at Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate,” stated Sheeran, continuing, “Our hearts have been broken by the scale and devastation and loss of civilian’s lives, of children’s lives. And the systemic injustice we’re seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked.”
Addressing the fact that Macklemore has donated his one million dollar salary for appearing on the tour directly to groups offering aid to war-ravaged Palestinians, Sheeran again steered straight down the middle, claiming, “I’m already speaking to people across the spectrum to work out how to make a contribution that helps victims of these terrible times, and listening and learning, because I do not know enough.” Sheeran’s placating vagueness echoes that of the billionaire who forced his hand, as Robert Kraft, under pressure from Macklemore’s call to match his donation, promised two million in aid to”build bridges” through “aid in the area.” (Recent reports suggest that Kraft’s donations may not be quite as even-handed as Sheeran’s “can’t we all just get along?” PR would have fans believe.)
“This concert is still a place where everyone is welcome, and everyone here can stand beside people that have opposing views, and everyone here can stand by people they don’t agree with on everything,” noted Sheeran. Macklemore presumably not included, as the rapper’s Kraft-mandated banishment from the Loop Tour continues.
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