Ed Sheeran concert faces protests as ‘Free Palestine’ row deepens

Police are preparing a heightened security presence at Ed Sheeran’s Philadelphia concert on Saturday as pro-Palestinian protests are planned following Macklemore’s removal from his LOOP Tour.

The show at Lincoln Financial Field comes amid the withdrawal of supporting acts and falling resale ticket prices after the rapper was dropped following his pro-Palestinian speeches at two New Jersey concerts.

Philadelphia Police Department spokesperson Jasmine Reilly told TMZ on Thursday that officers were coordinating with Sheeran’s team ahead of the performance.

“Our officers are talking to his team to make sure all appropriate measures are taken,” she said.

Reilly said a “sizable” police presence would be deployed. Police said no threats against Sheeran had been reported at that point.

Officers will be stationed inside and outside the stadium, with concertgoers required to pass through metal detectors. Some attendees will also undergo pat-down searches.

The department said it was working with the venue and organisers to protect concertgoers, employees and nearby residents, adding that security arrangements would be adjusted as necessary.

The controversy followed Macklemore’s opening performances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4 and 5, where he chanted “Free Palestine” and spoke in support of Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, said he wanted Palestinians to know they had not been forgotten.

“I believe that every human being walking on this earth deserves exactly the same freedom, to know safety and peace before knowing the sounds of violence,” he told the crowd.

He also performed his protest song Hind’s Hall while images of devastation in Gaza appeared on the stadium’s screens.

During his speech, he described the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency as a “terrorist organization” and called for freedom for Palestine, Cuba, Congo, Sudan and Iran.

The Israeli-American Council subsequently launched a petition demanding his removal from the remaining tour dates, accusing him of using the concert to promote a one-sided political agenda.

“This was an Ed Sheeran concert, not a political rally, not a protest, and not an activist event,” the petition stated.

“The issue is not whether Macklemore has the right to hold political views.”

According to Rolling Stone, several major American venues told tour promoters they would not permit Macklemore to perform.

Following his removal, supporting and replacement acts, including Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga, withdrew from the tour, the report revealed.

Resale ticket prices for the Philadelphia concert have also fallen.

According to TMZ, the prices had dropped 11 per cent since Monday, with the overall decline for the show reaching 25 per cent.

However, the company said ticket prices had already been weakening before Macklemore’s departure. It cited a 22 per cent decline during the two weeks before the tour’s previous 17 shows.

“Some softening in the run-up to the show is not atypical for this tour,” a representative said, while describing the Philadelphia decline as approaching the limits of what would normally be expected.

Singer Pink also entered the controversy by reposting an Instagram statement from StopAntisemitism criticising Macklemore’s performance and calling for apologies and refunds for concertgoers.