Rapper Macklemore has been kicked off the US leg of Ed Sheeran's tour after making pro-Palestinian statements during a performance.
The musician, whose real name is Benjamin Hegerty, was supporting Sheeran on his "Loop" tour. Jewish organizations criticized him after he gave a political speech supporting Palestine ahead of his performance.
"A big part of the reason I wanted to be on this tour in the first place is so I can stand in stadiums like this and say two words that are very, very important to me: Free Palestine," he told the audience.
He then performed his song "Hind's Hall," which criticizes the Israeli military operation in Gaza, while footage of the destruction in the area was shown on a large screen.
Macklemore reappeared on the same stage the following night and addressed "his Jewish brothers and sisters" in the audience directly.
"Criticizing Israel, criticizing apartheid and opposing genocide is in no way a criticism of you," he said, adding that he wants people in Gaza and the West Bank to know that they have not been forgotten.
Macklemore stood by his stance on Monday, confirming that he had been kicked off the tour. In a statement, he said that the real victims were the Palestinian people in Gaza.
In a lengthy post on Instagram, the musician wrote that, after a week of "difficult conversations" with Shiran, he was removed from the tour's lineup.
Tour promoter Messina Touring Group told Rolling Stone magazine that some concert organizers have announced they will not allow Macklemore to perform, which they said could lead to the tour being canceled and affect hundreds of thousands of fans.
Macklemore stated in the post that he understood the difficult position Sheeran found himself in, but criticized the English singer for not taking a stand.
"Taking sides can cost you dearly. Money, business deals, sponsorships, festivals, private appearances, relationships, and access. I lost all of that. But there is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed," he wrote.
Sheeran has not yet commented on the matter, and a replacement for Macklemore has not yet been announced.
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