CAIR-Philadelphia says Palestinian advocacy should not be grounds for exclusion from a publicly owned venue
CAIR-PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, in an open letter and supporter campaign it sponsored
CAIR-Philadelphia published an open letter and supporter campaign addressed to the Philadelphia Eagles, Eagles Stadium Operator LLC, the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development, the City of Philadelphia and Lincoln Financial Group, asking who decided that Macklemore would not perform at the September 19 Ed Sheeran concert at Lincoln Financial Field. The letter frames his removal, which followed his public expressions of solidarity with Palestinians, as a question of free expression and public accountability at a venue on publicly owned land.
“This is about more than one artist or one concert. It raises serious questions about free expression, public accountability, and whether advocacy for Palestinian human rights can become grounds for exclusion from a major venue operating on publicly owned property.”
Original text
Where this statement fits
Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” speech and removal from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour
At two Ed Sheeran concerts at MetLife Stadium, Macklemore called for a free Palestine, accused Israel of apartheid and genocide, and said criticism of Israel was not criticism of Jewish people. After venue objections, tour promoter Messina Touring Group said he would not perform the remaining U.S. Loop Tour dates. Critics characterized the performance as hostile or inappropriate; Macklemore defended it as a call for equal treatment.
Source and context
Original text
About this source
The organisation's own campaign page, carrying the template letter supporters send under their own names. The letter seeks disclosure of who decided that Macklemore would not perform at the September 19 Lincoln Financial Field concert and raises the venue's location on publicly owned property.
Before the quotation
The Philly Palestine Coalition and Shut Down D&Z had announced a protest outside Lincoln Financial Field the previous day. Philadelphia police were preparing for the September 19 concert, the first of Sheeran's U.S. dates since Macklemore's removal.
After the quotation
Neither the Eagles, the stadium operator nor the city had publicly identified who made the decision.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
CAIR-Philadelphia treats the speech as protected advocacy that should not cost an artist a booking, which defends the conduct under scrutiny. The closest competing label is “Explicitly stayed out”, because the letter is framed as a request for information rather than a verdict and does not say in terms that the removal was wrong. That loses because the letter's own framing supplies the position: it characterises the removal as raising "serious questions about free expression" and asks whether Palestinian advocacy can be grounds for exclusion, which presupposes that it should not be.
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- Macklemore
More from this case
Read the full caseMacklemore says the "billionaire class" should not decide "which voices are allowed on stage"
“What happened to me is bigger than one artist or one stage. When the billionaire class can decide which voices are allowed on stage and which ones are too dangerous to hear, everyone should be paying attention. So we're going on tour. All proceeds will benefit organizations supporting the Palestinian people and movement.”Read statement
Jewish Voice for Peace says the backlash to Macklemore's removal shows support for pro-Palestine speech
Jewish Voice for Peace
“Two years into Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestine organizing, the backlash against Sheeran shows how little patience Americans have for attacks on pro-Palestine speech. It also demonstrates the shift toward support for Palestinian rights among everyday Americans that our movements have helped propel.”Read statement
Macklemore announces "Free Palestine Tour" after removal from U.S. dates
“To push back when the call for a Free Palestine is met with attempts to silence it.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "CAIR-Philadelphia says Palestinian advocacy should not be grounds for exclusion from a publicly owned venue". First published: 2026-09-18. Last updated: 2026-09-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/1047-cair-philadelphia-published-an-open-letter-and-supporter