CAIR condemns the pressure on Ed Sheeran to drop Macklemore from his U.S. tour
Council on American-Islamic RelationsNational office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, in a press release quoting National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell
CAIR condemned Robert Kraft and other stadium owners for reportedly pressuring Ed Sheeran to drop Macklemore, and said any publicly owned stadium involved may have violated the First Amendment. It called Macklemore's stand courageous and moral and urged Sheeran to pursue legal options or reschedule his tour rather than give in.
“Macklemore is taking a courageous and moral stand and Mr. Sheeran should bravely stand with him. The companies responsible for this attack on free speech for the benefit of a foreign government must be held accountable.”
Official statement
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
Official statement
About this source
CAIR national press release, published September 14, 2026, on stadium owners' reported pressure to remove Macklemore from Ed Sheeran's U.S. tour. It carries a statement from CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell and quotes Rolling Stone's reporting on the venues.
Before the quotation
CAIR's release said stadiums had reportedly demanded that Ed Sheeran exclude Macklemore from his U.S. tour. It cited Rolling Stone as reporting that Macklemore had been scheduled for eight of the ten shows left on the U.S. leg.
After the quotation
The release quotes Rolling Stone as reporting that, of the seven venues named, only the stadiums in Charlotte and Foxborough are privately owned and the rest are owned by cities, states or other government entities.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case looks at Macklemore's speech and the response to it. CAIR calls his stand courageous and moral and says he is being targeted for his views, which defends the speech. Its condemnation of Robert Kraft and the stadium owners is aimed at the removal, not at Macklemore, so we labeled it Defended or excused.
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- People and groups discussed
- Robert Kraft, Ed Sheeran
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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- CAIR condemns the pressure on Ed Sheeran to drop Macklemore from his U.S. tour
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The Dispute Index. "CAIR condemns the pressure on Ed Sheeran to drop Macklemore from his U.S. tour". First published: 2026-09-30. Last updated: 2026-09-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/3400-cair-condemned-robert-kraft-and-other-stadium-owners