Finneas and several other artists scheduled to support Ed Sheeran have withdrawn from his tour following the removal of rapper Macklemore, NBC News reported Tuesday.
Macklemore joined Sheeran's “Loop" tour in New Jersey earlier this month. During his appearance at MetLife Stadium, he caused an uproar among pro-Israel groups after he told the crowd “Free Palestine" before performing his protest song “Hind’s Hall."
On Monday, he announced that he had been removed from the tour, saying that New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft had called Sheeran and threatened to cancel the singer's planned tour if Macklemore remained part of the lineup.
The move has since prompted every opening act listed for Sheeran's upcoming dates to announce that it will no longer participate in the tour.
Finneas said Tuesday that he had decided to withdraw from his scheduled performances with Sheeran. In an Instagram statement, he declared that he stands “with Palestine and its people."
“Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed," Finneas wrote.
About an hour before Finneas made his announcement, Irish singer Aaron Rowe also said he was leaving the tour. Rowe wrote on Instagram that he could not remain silent while wealthy individuals suppressed artists speaking about what he called “Israeli genocide" and the “savage murder of children."
“Ed has been a friend to me and has changed my life, I could never thank him enough for this," Rowe wrote. “But as Irish people we know all too well about genocide, forced famine, and violent occupation."
Beoga, the house band accompanying Sheeran, also announced that it was departing the tour. The Irish group said it had been friends with Sheeran for more than a decade and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to perform in stadiums.
“It’s important that everyone knows that the real enemy is the zionist lobby," the band’s statement claimed. “They have worked tirelessly to silence artists who want to speak freely about a genocide happening before our eyes, for fear of retribution."
Danish group Lukas Graham likewise confirmed its departure from the tour while apologizing to fans. The band cited its upbringing in a small Danish community, where it said “speaking your mind was part of everyday life."
“Having more money didn’t make your opinion worth more than anyone else’s," the statement said. “Money doesn’t give you the right to own the conversation."
“We should be able to speak about war, about civilians being killed, about children who deserve to group up," the band said. “Wherever they live. Whatever flag flies over them."
As criticism of Sheeran mounted, the singer issued a statement Tuesday morning emphasizing that he had not made the decision to remove Macklemore. Sheeran said he spent the previous week attempting to resolve the dispute after venues contacted him and warned that they would withdraw his shows if Macklemore remained on the bill.
“I was informed that this stance was based on how Macklemore conveyed part of his message during his performance, rather than everything that was said," Sheeran said. “I spoke with venues at length all week to try and build a bridge. One of those people was Robert Kraft."
Sheeran said the contract with Macklemore was held by his concert promoter, rather than by him personally, and that the promoter ultimately decided to remove the rapper. He nevertheless expressed respect for Macklemore's “strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes."
Kraft, in a statement released Monday, did not directly deny Macklemore's accusation that he had pressured Sheeran over the rapper's participation. Kraft said the decision to bar Macklemore from Gillette Stadium was prompted by the artist's “recent actions" on stage as well as “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community."
“I would welcome the opportunity to sit down with Macklemore and discuss the facts, because ultimately our goal is the same - peace for all people, an end to suffering, and an end to all hate," Kraft said.