Ed Sheeran breaks down in tears onstage as he bows to pressure & apologises over Palestine row amid protests outside gig

ED Sheeran has broken down in tears onstage as he bowed to pressure and apologised over a Palestine row. The singer broke his silence onstage last night after Macklemore was pulled from his tour and his own band quit in protest. Singer Ed Sheeran speaks on stage as he addresses a controversy over Macklemore being pulled from the tour Credit: Reuters Pro-Palestinian protesters gather near Sheeran’s show Credit: Reuters Protestors mounted a huge demo outside his Philadelphia gig at the Lincoln Financial Field. Sheeran said he had questioned whether he “wanted to be an artist at all” after the huge row. Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter Thank you! The singer-songwriter said onstage last night: “I’ve had to take, and make, difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes and I’m so, so sorry for them. “I don’t want to disappoint fans, and I’ve never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet.” He said he had tried not to be a “political commentator” because he wanted his music to be about “unity”. But after days of increased pressure threatening the future of his US tour Loop, the singer admitted onstage: “I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore.” “What happened in Israel and at the Nova music festival on October 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. “What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. Most read in Showbiz “My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives, children’s lives. “And the systemic injustice we are seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked.” The controversy started when US rapper Macklemore was banned by Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft barred the rapper from performing at the venue. Kraft said he would not “provide a platform for hate speech” after the rapper spoke out about Palestine onstage. But when Macklemore was pulled from the tour, several other support acts quit in solidarity – including Sheeran’s own band. Thousands then cancelled tickets and the musician was unsure if he’d be able to carry on with performances at all. More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesun and follow us on TikTok @TheSun. 1 comment1