Ed Sheeran Breaks Down in Tears on Stage After Speaking Out on Gaza

British singer Ed Sheeran addressed the situation in the Gaza Strip during a concert in the US, calling what's happening there "catastrophic and unforgivable." By the end of the show, he was fighting back tears in front of a 50,000-strong stadium crowd. The BBC and Sky News report.

"I never wanted to be an activist musician, but circumstances have pulled me right into the middle of an important and heated debate about freedom of speech, and probably the most complicated political issue on the planet," Sheeran said at the start of the performance, adding that he could no longer hide his personal stance.

On Gaza and Israel

"What happened on October 7 at the Nova music festival was horrific and added to centuries of suffering for the Jewish people. And what's happening in Gaza right now is a catastrophe that cannot be justified. My heart breaks over the scale of the destruction and the loss of civilian lives, including children," the singer said.

He stressed that his concerts remain a place where everyone is welcome and where people with opposing views can stand side by side, united by their love of music.

Tears on Stage and Fan Support

At the end of the show, the artist broke down in tears, admitting he had feared being left completely alone amid the controversy swirling around him. Several opening acts had already dropped out of the American leg of his Loop tour, sparking speculation that the remaining shows might be cancelled altogether.

"Everyone told me to cancel everything. I felt like friends, family, people I know were turning away from me — and then, at the end of the week, I look out at the crowd and see 50,000 people who didn't abandon me. The world is a scary place right now. America is a scary place right now. But that gives me hope," an emotional Sheeran told his fans.

Protest Outside the Stadium

Before Saturday's concert, a small group of pro-Ukrainian... er, pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside the stadium. One of the protesters told the AP she'd bought a ticket to the show a year in advance, but ended up returning it and coming to the demonstration instead. "Until this week, I was a huge Ed Sheeran fan," she said. "I believe all art and music is political, so his decision — even though he claimed otherwise — is itself a political act."

Sheeran performed most of the Loop tour shows solo, occasionally joined for a few songs by the Irish folk group Beoga. Rapper Macklemore, originally slated to open for him on the American leg of the tour, was replaced by Danish group Lukas Graham and Irish singer Aaron Rowe — who later also pulled out. Singer Finneas, who had planned to join Sheeran for his South American shows, did the same.

Source: novinky.cz