All of Ed Sheeran’s opening acts withdrew from the remainder of the singer’s North American and South American tour, showing support for fellow supporting act Macklemore after he was barred from multiple venues over “free Palestine” remarks he made this month.

Aaron Rowe called Sheeran a “friend” in an Instagram post and said he did not make the decision to withdraw “lightly,” noting as an Irish person he knows “all to well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation.”

Finneas, Irish folk band Beoga and Danish group Lukas Graham swiftly followed suit in withdrawing from the tour after Rowe dropped out Tuesday, with Finneas saying in a brief post , “Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed.”

Beoga said in a statement it stood with Macklemore, while Graham noted , “Nobody’s bank balance should decide who gets to speak or which suffering we’re allowed to acknowledge.”

Rowe added he could not “stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up against Israeli genocide and who highlight the savage murder of children.”

Rowe and Graham seemingly referenced billionaire New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who confirmed Monday he barred Macklemore from performing at Gillette Stadium.

Macklemore claimed this week Sheeran told him Kraft had a hand in influencing other venues to prohibit him from performing.

According to Sheeran’s website, Rowe and Graham were slated to support him for the remainder of his North American tour dates, while Finneas was scheduled to open for him in four South American tour dates.

Sheeran Says He Is ‘Not Complicit’

Sheeran said he was “not complicit” in Macklemore’s removal in a statement earlier Tuesday and that he “spoke with the venues at length all week to try and build a bridge,” including talks with Kraft. Sheeran, who has kept politics out of his music and live performances, said he has been “appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine” and added the “suffering and pain caused on both sides is a human tragedy.”

Macklemore addressed a MetLife Stadium crowd on Sept. 4 by saying he joined Sheeran’s tour to be able to say “two words that are very near and dear to my heart: free Palestine.” The rapper added, “every single human being that walks this earth deserves” to “know safety and peace before they know the sound of violence, to know the sound of laughter on a playground before planes and bombs, for parents to be able to say bye to their kids in the morning and not have to wonder if this is going to be the last time they kiss their child goodbye.” Macklemore said in a follow-up show at MetLife that his “criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid [and] being against genocide in no way is a criticism” of Jewish people.

Macklemore has long touched on political and social topics throughout his career, said this week Sheeran was put “in a f—-- up position,” adding the singer’s “typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it had never been before.” Macklemore also said Sheeran “couldn’t get past his public facing ‘I don’t take sides.’” Kraft, who founded the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism in 2019 and has an estimated net worth of $15.2 billion, said Monday his decision to bar Macklemore from playing at Gillette Stadium was informed by “a broader history of rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.”

Ed Sheeran Says ‘I Am Not Complicit’ After Macklemore Is Pulled From Tour Over ‘Free Palestine’ Remarks (Forbes)

Macklemore Defends ‘Free Palestine’ Remarks At Ed Sheeran Concert Despite Growing Backlash (Forbes)