Beoga leaves the Loop Tour over venues that silence Palestine advocacy
Traditional Irish band that performed within Ed Sheeran’s set on the Loop Tour
“We are Irish people who understand colonialism. As founding members of the Irish Artists for Palestine movement, we are committed activists for justice and will continue to be.”
Source and context
Original post
About this source
Beoga’s own account, @beogamusic, announcing the band’s departure from the tour. The caption was read directly from the post and matches the wording reported by NBC News. 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
The Globe and Mail reports the four withdrawals and quotes the statements of Aaron Rowe and Beoga, noting that Rowe and Lukas Graham had been due to replace Macklemore and that Beoga performed inside Sheeran’s own set.
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
The band said it had been friends with Sheeran for more than ten years and would remain so.
After the quotation
Reporting also quotes the statement objecting to “the silencing of Macklemore by zionist lobbies,” a characterisation that is the band’s own. The post was captioned “Saoirse don Phailistín,” Irish for “Freedom for Palestine.”
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 speech and removal, Beoga objects to venues silencing Palestine advocacy and leaves in protest, which defends the speech at issue.
- 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