Protesters will reportedly gather outside Ed Sheeran’s concert at Gillette Stadium in Philadelphia this coming Saturday in the wake of his opening lineup dropping out after rapper Macklemore sparked concerted backlash by accusing Israel of genocide against the Palestinians.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft decided to block Macklemore from performing with Ed Sheeran at Gillette Stadium after the rapper’s initial comments about the conflict in Gaza. In response, several top artists scheduled to perform with Ed Sheeran as part of his tour dropped out. According to TMZ, the protests will resume at the same stadium come Saturday.
Another demonstration is set for this weekend outside one of Ed’s concerts at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough … the very stadium billionaire Robert Kraft — who allegedly spearheaded an effort among other stadium owners to get Macklemore removed from the tour.
The Massachusetts Peace Action — an advocacy group focused on ending the Israel-Palestinian conflict — is sponsoring the demonstration around the corner from Gillette before Ed’s second show there this weekend. He’s set to play the venue Friday as well.
MAPA said that the protest represents the broader Stop the Madness mobilization, adding that it will center on “billionaire censorship” and “genocide in Palestine.”
In a statement last week, Robert Kraft said that he only blocked Macklemore due to him sharing “deeply offensive” statements and images that were “hurtful to the Jewish community.”
“This decision is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf. Their pain and loss are real,” Kraft said.
“But that advocacy should not come at the expense of the Jewish community or obscure the responsibility of Hamas, a United States and globally … designated terrorist organization whose horrific actions have caused immeasurable suffering for Palestinians and Israelis alike,” he added.