Macklemore axed from Ed Sheeran tour over Palestine row

British singer Ed Sheeran has clarified that rapper Macklemore's removal from the remainder of his US tour was a decision taken by the tour promoter, not by him. Ed Sheeran also said that he wanted his concerts to remain free of politics. Macklemore was dropped after his pro-Palestinian comments sparked backlash. The fallout began after the thrift shop hitmaker spoke in support of Palestine His comments led to calls for him to be removed from the Loop tour, while several venues objected to hosting him. The tour promoter later confirmed that Macklemore would not perform on the remaining dates. The decision has since triggered a fresh wave of reactions. Several supporting acts, including Lucas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Band Beoga, have withdrawn from the tour in solidarity. The Israeli-American Council, which had called for Macklemore's removal, welcomed the decision, calling it the right action. The group had criticized the rapper's comments and called for him to be dropped. Following his exit, the 43-year-old musician announced that he will donate his entire $1 million net earnings from the tour to six organizations supporting Palestinians. The Grammy-winning artist said that he wanted to focus on the humanitarian crisis and reiterated his call for Palestinian freedom.