Finneas withdraws from the Loop Tour over Macklemore’s removal
Musician and producer, scheduled to support Ed Sheeran on the South American leg of the Loop Tour
“Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed. I have decided to withdraw from my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran. I stand with Palestine and its people.”
Source and context
Original post
About this source
Finneas’s own account, @finneas, announcing his withdrawal from his upcoming Ed Sheeran dates. The post was opened and its author, account and posting date were confirmed directly. The body of the statement is published as images rather than caption text, so the wording quoted in the Dispute Index record is taken from news transcription of those images, not read from the post itself.
Reporting
About this source
Rolling Stone reports the withdrawal of Ed Sheeran’s remaining supporting acts and quotes their Instagram statements. The original posts were not retrieved directly.
Reporting
About this source
NBC News reports the withdrawals and quotes Finneas, Lukas Graham and Beoga, including the Irish-language caption on Beoga’s post.
Before the quotation
Finneas posted roughly an hour after Aaron Rowe announced his own withdrawal, and hours after Sheeran’s statement.
After the quotation
He was due to support Sheeran in South America from November. Reporting notes his earlier participation in a Palestine relief benefit.
How this statement is classified
Case context: Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” speech and removal from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour
The label describes this statement’s response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to Macklemore’s MetLife speech and his removal, Finneas treats the removal as silencing an artist who spoke up, and withdraws in protest. Both the stated reason and the action defend the speech rather than merely commenting on the tour.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Macklemore
Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” speech and removal from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour
Explore the case context, sources and public responses.
More from this case
Read the full case“Glad to see Macklemore off Ed Sheeran’s tour. For years, Macklemore has pushed antisemitic tropes and demonized Israel and Israelis. Now he certainly has the 1A right to speak out and express his views, but demonizing Jews and Israelis shouldn’t be rewarded.”Read statement
“When your only response to dissent is to use power and wealth to make it go away, you are going to have the opposite effect. People can see what’s happening in the Middle East with their eyes and don’t want to be told what they’re allowed to think by people who own stadiums.”Read statement
“So proud of Aaron. A brave and selfless act to stand with Palestine & humanity against Israel’s barbarism and the billionaires that support their crimes. Aaron you have upheld Ireland’s noble tradition of resistance to colonialism & Empire. So proud!”Read statement