Ed Sheeran’s bland neutrality, Macklemore’s artistic conscience and the ghoulish hypocrisy of Zionist Censorship from Right Wing Free speech champions
The online dragging that Ed Sheeran is getting for betraying a fellow artist of their voice while proclaiming neutrality is glorious…
…the self pity Sheeran is wallowing is white Karen demanding to see the manager level privilege.
The reality of Israel committing war crimes so extreme that they breach the legal definitions of genocide demand more than neutrality.
Being neutral in the face of genocide is choosing genocide.
The Orwellian level insanity of claiming Macklemore saying ‘Free Palestine’ amounts to antisemitism is an intellectual obscenity that the vast majority of people will no longer tolerate.
The fact that Sheeran’s stadium was half empty and ticket prices plunged shows the market working and that market is sickened by genocide enablers because the vast majority see Israel’s disproportionate response to October 7th in horror and disgust.
The ghoulish hypocrisy of Zionist Censorship from Right Wing Free speech champions is extraordinary isn’t it?
Claiming Macklemore is antisemitic and then robbing him of his free speech is remarkable from right wing Trolls who pretend to champion free speech.
As we always point out on TDB, these Right Wing Champions for free Speech are hypocrites the millisecond that free speech criticises Israel.
This is a moment of cultural reckoning as ordinary people stand against Israel’s Genocide.
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Macklemore – Sheeran less
Ed Sheeran is a pussy, bursting into tears feeling sorry for himself, while women and children are being massacred by Zionism and US imperialism.
Look at the reactions of Trump and Hegseth when asked about the murder of 170 Iranian schoolgirls. They acted with nonchalant almost performantive macho non concern- –these people are evil disgusting ghouls.
Sheeran is a fuckwit. Fuck him and his lame music.
Opposing colonialism and imperialism is culturally Irish
Englishman Ed Sheeran is a British citizen by birth and holds a UK passport.
Ed Sheeran says he is “culturally Irish”
After receiving social media backlash over his claims that he is “culturally Irish”, Sheeran posted a response on Instagram on June 11, 2025, stating he also had an Irish passport.
The culture of Ireland is heavily steeped in resistance to the British Empire and colonialial subjugation.
Ed Sheeran has never recorded an Irish rebel song.
Ed Sheeran is British, which is why and can’t understand why his backing Irish band Beoga and his Irish support act Aaron Rowe refuse to bow down to him, over Palestine, because he is not Irish. culturally or any other way.
By showing solidarity with Macklemore and Palestine, US citizen Finneas O’Connell who was born and raised in Los Angeles is more Irish than Ed Sheeran
By being against imperialism and Zionist colonialism, though he has never claimed to be “culturally Irish”, Macklemore is more Irish than Ed Sheeran.
Not sure about celebrating Macklemore’s position on this due to his past anti-Jewish performances …
and that is why you are such a shitty pro zionist apologist Nathan, that performance we have already dealt with and explained, we pointed out it is bullshit and only bad faith actor right wing trolls dredge it up. You are a bad faith troll, cry harder over Taxpayers’ Union fall from grace
Right back at you — sweetheart
Looks like you rattled the Echo Chamber there Nathan . .
I’m not really sure what to make of this Ed Sheeran business on Palestine.
Although I don’t care a jot for his music, I thought he was actually an OK person with a fair bit of integrity, at least he seemed that way from what many people said.
Perhaps he was under pressure from his promoter who was only interested in profits and not Palestinians.
But he should have stood up for what was right, and it seems now he realises that.
It will be a costly lesson for Ed Sheeran, to be sure.
There is something very revealing about the Ed Sheeran–Macklemore incident. Macklemore stood on a stage and rightly said “Free Palestine” and spoke about the appalling suffering of Palestinians in Gaza. He exercised his right as an artist and obviously as a conscionable person to speak about something he believed was morally and significantly important. And the result – he was removed from Sheeran’s tour after venue owners objected to what they said was a political statement.
Sheeran then insisted that the decision was made by the promoter and not by him, but responsibility in these circumstances is not confined to whoever technically made the decision. Sheeran was the headline artist. It was his tour, his show and his friend and fellow artist who was removed. Where was his strength of character to stand up for his friend and support him?
What happened next is as important and very telling. Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Sheeran’s own backing band, Beoga, all walked away in solidarity with Macklemore. They weren’t walking away because they suddenly disliked Sheeran. They were making a strong statement standing in solidarity with Macklemore, and his right to express himself in the way that he did.
And Sheeran’s response? Reportedly – “You know who your friends are.”
What an extraordinarily selfish, uneducated and ignorant thing to say. Perhaps he should consider that the backing people who walked away may have been precisely the friends who were prepared to tell him that something had gone badly wrong.
Forgive me expressing my my next philosophical comment but here it is – friendship isn’t demonstrated by standing beside someone when everything is going well. Sometimes friendship also means saying or getting the message across. In this case the message is – “Ed Sheeran, this isn’t right. We can’t stand by while another artist is silenced. You should support him.” This is precisely what Sheeran’s backup musicians did.
What I find particularly galling and sickening is the extraordinary disconnect between the expressed language of rightful humanitarian concern and the reaction to Macklemore by the stadium owners as well as Sheeran now saying that what is happening in Gaza is “catastrophic and unjustifiable”. He says he is heartbroken by the deaths of civilians and children. But where was that humanitarian concern when Macklemore was standing on the stage? Where was Sheeran’s courage to say: “he has the right to express his opinion and I support him”?
Instead, the person who spoke openly about the suffering in Gaza was effectively removed from Sheeran’s concert and tour, and the backing musicians who objected to his treatment decided to walk away in solidarity with him, and Sheeran is left standing on stage, apparently bewildered that people have walked away. Most decent educated people with a sense of morality would find Sheeran’s bewilderment very hard to accept.
There is something deeply disturbing and self-centred about turning a deeply moral issue involving the suffering of millions of people into a story about Ed Sheeran’s difficult week, Ed Sheeran’s tour, Ed Sheeran’s fans, Ed Sheeran’s disappointment and Ed Sheeran discovering who his friends are.
The Palestinians suffering in Gaza do not have the luxury of making the issue about their difficult week. For them, this is not a public-relations problem.
It is not a tour scheduling problem. It is not an argument between celebrities.
It is human beings being killed, displaced and subjected to the most unimaginable and deplorable suffering.
When Macklemore used his platform to say “Free Palestine” and then sang Hinds Hall in remembrance of 6-year-old Hind Rajab killed in the conflict, with the result that he was removed from Sheeran’s concert and effectively from his tour because wealthy people didn’t like what he said, there is a very simple human response available – Stand beside him.
Instead, Sheeran did not stand beside him. He carried on even when the other backing artists walked away in support of Macklemore. And now, according to reports, Sheeran says – “you know who your friends are.”
Yes, Sheeran, perhaps in your mind you do but in reality you don’t. Instead, you have shown your true colours. Perhaps the more relevant question is whether your friends now know who you are. Because sometimes the people who walk away from you aren’t the ones who have abandoned you. Maybe it is you who has abandoned them. Sometimes those friends are the ones who have decided that there are things more important than you, your career, your stadiums, your ticket sales and your next concert – things like conscience. Things like freedom of expression, and, above all, things like humanity.
Sheeran, I asked the question above where was your courage to say “he has the right to express his opinion and I support him.” I now know the answer. No courage from you – just an empty hollow existing within a self-centred egoist.
Ed Sheeran apologises for apologising
Ed Sheeran has 10 U.S. performances remaining on his North American Loop Tour.
At the beginning of his first concert without his supporting acts, and regular backing band, reading from a teleprompter Ed Sheeran read out an apology to his audience.
And then, at the end of the concert, apologised for his apology.
Will Ed Sheeran have to read out the cringeworthy teleprompter forelock tugging scripted apology written for him, before every remaining concert?
Will he then apologise for having to make the apology, at the end of each concert?
How long can Ed Sheeran continue reading out this miserable apology from the teleprompter, before each concert before he loses his own self respect?
Will the $2 million he personally makes at every concert, make him feel better about himself?
YouTube
Ed Sheeran Just Made Everything WORSE
Owen Jones
884K subscribers
158K views
Sep 22, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDAeGOpCLto
@22:36minutes:
…. the people of the world, including, in the west, including, in the United States, have made up their minds by overwhelming margins according to every poll, that Israel has committed genocide, that it has committed unspeakable crimes.
As Omar L Akad put it, “one day, when it’s safe, when there’s no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it’s too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will always have been against this”
(Which will be about the same time that the ICJ is set to sit to decide on the merits of South Africa’s case against Israel for committing genocide.)
https://www.southernafricalitigationcentre.org/salc-in-the-news-sas-genocide-case-at-icj/
The malice of the wicked is aided by the weakness of the virtuous.
I’m a big pop singer
I’ve got golden fingers
And I’m loved everywhere I go…
I sing about beauty and I sing about truth
At two million dollars a show…
I got all the friends that money can buy
So I never have to be alone
I keep gettin’ richer
And I bet I’ll get my picture
On the cover of the Rollin’ Stone
(Apologies to Dr. Hook)
Ed Sheeran will get his picture on the cover of the Rollin Stone, but I bet it won’t be flattering coverage.
Ed Sheeran says he has really found out who his ‘freinds are’.
“…in these situations, you really find out who your friends are.” Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran’s backing band Beoga, have worked with Ed Sheeran for over 10 years.
Bioga, who Ed Sheeran owes a large part of his current success to, according to Ed, are not “really who” his friends are.
Despite the traditional Irish band Bioga providing the backing music for Ed Sheeran’s hit single ‘Galway Girl’.
Despite Bioga also co-writing the lyrics, for both ‘Galway Girl’ and ‘Nancy Mulligan’ both of which appeared on Ed Sheeran’s 2017 breok-out album.
The traditional Irish Folk Band, Bioga that he owes so much of his success and wealth to, are not who you really find out who your friends are, nowadays.
By dissing his tradtional Irish backing band of ten years, as not who his friends are, Ed Sheeran, who is English, could be accused of ‘Culteral Appropriation’
From Wikipedia:
… Cultural appropriation is an adoption of an element or elements of culture or identity by members of another culture or identity in a manner perceived as inappropriate or unacknowledged.[a]
YouTube:
Ed Sheeran UPDATE: His End Of Show Speech BACKFIRES As He Goes Off Script – A Real Disappointment
Dave Neal
278K subscribers
195k views
Sep 21, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9f7zlVIPVQ
And all this in complicty with silenceing condemnation of genocide.
I ain’t gonna play on Ed Sheeran’s tour no more
(sung to the tune; I ain’t gonna work on Maggie’s farm no more)
I ain’t gonna play on Ed Sheeran’s tour no more
No, I ain’t gonna play on Ed Sheeran’s tour no more
I wake up in the morning, and pray it’s gonna rain
Ed’s complicity in genocide is drivin’ me insane
Genocide is a crime, that Ed wants me to ignore.
So I ain’t gonna play on Ed Sheeran’s tour no more
I ain’t gonna obey Robert Kraft no more
No, I ain’t gonna obey Robert Kraft no more
Robert talks about the IDF, Israel and the law
Everybody says he helps Israel fund the war
Robert gives Ed a nickel, Robert gives Ed a dime
Then Ed asks us with a grin if we’re havin’ a good time
No I ain’t gonna play on Ed Sheeran’s tour no more.
I ain’t gonna perform for Ed Sheeren’s promotor no more
No, I ain’t gonna perform for Ed Sheeran’s promoter no more
He rubs the genocide in my face, just for kicks
Everybody says his office window’s made out of bricks
And private security guards stand around his door
I ain’t gonna play on Ed Sheeran’s tour no more.
I ain’t gonna obey Robert Kraft no more
I ain’t gonna perform for Ed Sheeran’s promoter no more
I ain’t gonna play on Ed Sheeran’s tour no more
I try to be the best I can
But they want me to be like them
They say, ‘Do not to talk about the war’
I ain’t gonna play on Ed Sheeran’s tour no more
I listened to one of his songs once – well about half of one. Don’t like his music – I guess that’s just me. Bland like his opinions. But plenty of people do. However – “don’t you dare call it genocide.” Is kind of like Chris Trotter once saying that if the Israelis were committing Genocide they were remarkably bad at it given the number of Palestinians still alive. By that metric we don’t need to call the Holocaust genocide do we?
There’s been a legal definition of genocide since 1948, and Israeli actions in Gaza certainly fit the definition. Still, Ed doesn’t have to worry does he? I guarantee even though he may not any longer totally fill stadiums, he won’t be feeling the pinch.
Guerilla Surgeon:
> Ed doesn’t have to worry does he? I guarantee even though he may not any longer totally fill stadiums, he won’t be feeling the pinch.
I wouldn’t be so sure about that. With record companies and other intermediaries hoovering up most of the revenue from record sales, and now online sales and streaming too, even very famous musicians are often living from tour to tour. Needing to earn enough money from each tour to cover all their costs for a year, including all the specialists international acts need to keep on salary all year round.
Then there’s the costs of stadium-scale concerts, which are huge. Fairly profitable if you fill them, but if they’re only half full, that takes out of lot of the surplus that artist and their people get their cut of. And what if people go to a half-empty show, with most of the billed acts missing, and feel like they didn’t get their money’s worth? So only half of them go to the next concert, and don’t bring the group of friends they’d normally rope in. Rinse, repeat.
This is very, very bad for Ed Sheeran, potentially career-ending. I don’t feel sorry for him at all, his chickens are simply coming home to roost, and I confess to feeling a bit of schadenfreude. If only Bill Hicks was still with us to tear him a new one on comedy stages …
Famous quotes in history:
“I am not a crook” Richard Nixon
“I am not complicit” Ed Sheeran
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/sep/19/music-industry-divided-political-apolitical-artists-ed-sheeran-macklemore
The slogan “Free Palestine” should be changed to “Dismantle Israel”.
I’ve never listened to a single ed sheeran tune. Is it like elevator muzak? Is his muzak the only muzak anyone taking anti anxiety drugs can live with? Is it me or does he look like a tattooed Womble?
The answer to every question is yes. You’re welcome.
The genocide in Gaza is the moral litmus test of our time.