Finneas and other acts exit Ed Sheeran tour to protest Macklemore being dropped over pro-Palestinian remarks

Finneas and other musical artists have withdrawn as supporting acts for Ed Sheeran as of Tuesday in protest of Macklemore being dropped from the tour after the rapper says New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft organized a boycott against him.

Macklemore, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, joined Sheeran’s “Loop” tour in New Jersey earlier this month. He made remarks to the Metlife Stadium crowd that included the phrase “Free Palestine” before performing his protest anthem “Hind’s Hall.”

He announced Monday that he was no longer on the tour after Kraft called Sheeran and threatened to cancel Sheeran’s planned tour if Macklemore was still performing.

All of the opening acts listed for Sheeran’s upcoming tour dates have now announced their departures.

Finneas put out a statement saying he decided to withdraw from his upcoming tour dates with Sheeran. He wrote on Instagram that he stands “with Palestine and its people.”

“Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” Finneas wrote.

This is not the singer’s first public display of support for Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas war. He and his younger sister, Billie Eilish, joined fellow celebrities last year to promote a benefit concert to support relief…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/health