Ed Sheeran’s US tour opener in Philadelphia was shadowed by pro-Palestinian protesters this weekend, following the controversial removal of rapper Macklemore from the lineup. The pop superstar’s first show since the dramatic exit saw a small but vocal demonstration near Lincoln Financial Field.
Roughly 30 activists, some with faces covered by keffiyehs, gathered several blocks from the venue. They held signs declaring “America is the head of the snake” and “Ready to resist,” while chanting for New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to “go.”
The anti-Israel demonstrators found themselves outnumbered by a significant media presence. Inside, despite the turmoil, tickets for Sheeran’s stadium performance were still widely available on Ticketmaster, some priced as low as $32, just hours before showtime.
The tour has faced considerable disruption. All of Sheeran’s scheduled opening acts, including Billie Eilish’s brother Finneas, and his backing band, reportedly quit in protest. This followed Macklemore’s abrupt booting from “The Loop” tour after stadium owners objected to his anti-Israel screeds delivered at two previous shows.
Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, had used his stage time to voice strong political statements. At MetLife Stadium on September 4, the Grammy winner, clad in a keffiyeh, declared, “I wanted to stand up here on stages across America and say two words that are near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine.”
He then accused the Jewish State of genocide and apartheid, according to reports. He also performed his track “Hinds Hall,” a tribute to anti-Israel protesters who occupied an academic building at Columbia University, displaying images of the Gaza war on a giant screen.
The rapper repeated this
