Jeremy Clarkson rips into ‘bully’ Roger Waters as he fiercely defends Ed Sheeran amid Macklemore-Palestine row
Jeremy Clarkson has waded into the ongoing row surrounding Ed Sheeran, defending the singer amid mounting backlash against him – particularly the vitriol he received from Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters.
The former Top Gear presenter took to his latest newspaper column to slam the reaction Mr Sheeran has received after Macklemore was removed from his tour, branding it “bullying”.
The Clarkson’s Farm presenter drew a parallel with JK Rowling’s cancellation, arguing that Mr Sheeran’s case was even more absurd because the 35-year-old was being punished not for something he said but for something he chose not to say.
Mr Clarkson was referring to the fact that Mr Sheeran refused to make a public comment on the Israel-Palestine conflict after his tour organisers removed Macklemore as his support act. Macklemore had declared “Free Palestine” during two of his support sets to Mr Sheeran’s fans.
The former Top Gear host isn’t impressed with Roger Waters
|
GETTY“He literally said nothing at all and, for that, his fans are trying to offload tickets for his forthcoming tour; his support acts have all walked and, from what I hear, even his band is refusing to play with him,” Mr Clarkson wrote.
He described Mr Sheeran as “almost unbelievably polite and likeable” and said online activists had “sent him to Coventry” simply because he declined to make public pronouncements on Palestine.
“It’s bullying. There’s no other word for it,” Mr Clarkson declared.
Roger Waters is no stranger to wading into Palestinian debates | REUTERS
Roger Waters’s opinions on the row and his blistering personal video posted to social media also caught the eye of Mr Clarkson.
In the clip, the Pink Floyd co-founder pointed to Palestinian activist portraits on his wall before turning his attention to Mr Sheeran: “There are two kinds of people in this world, okay? There’s people who do the right thing. That rapper Macklemore would be one of those people.
“And there are people, many of them sadly, little… Excuse me, I nearly used the F-word then, p***ks, like you, who do the wrong thing.”
Mr Clarkson singled out Mr Waters as “the worst bully of them all,” describing the musician as someone “who took to social media in a frothing rage, effing and blinding about Ed.”
Ed Sheeran has vowed to continue his tour | GETTY
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
He went further, calling Mr Waters “a deeply unpleasant and cruel man” based on personal experience.
He signed off his column by asking: “But how can you protest about Ed when you don’t know what he thinks? Because he hasn’t told us.”
The crisis facing Mr Sheeran’s Loop Tour dates to early September, when Macklemore used his opening slot at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to declare his solidarity with Palestinians.
“A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so that I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very, very dear to my heart: Free Palestine,” the rapper told the crowd.
Macklemore and Ed Sheeran had been friends for more than a decade before the tour controversy | GETTY
He also showed videos of Gaza while reading aloud reported death tolls. The Israeli American Council responded with a petition calling for his removal, while campaign group StopAntisemitism accused him of ambushing concertgoers with propaganda.
Billionaire Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium and the New England Patriots, then banned Macklemore from his venue, branding the rapper’s remarks “hate speech.”
Macklemore was officially dropped from the tour on September 14.
The fallout from Macklemore’s removal has been monumental, with every remaining support act on the Loop Tour withdrawing within hours of Mr Sheeran’s statement on the matter.
Ed Sheeran has refused to be dragged into political discussions | GETTY
Dublin singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe declared on Instagram: “I cannot 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.”
Finneas, who had been scheduled to join the tour’s South American leg in November, wrote: “Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed. I stand with Palestine and its people.”
Danish act Lukas Graham likewise stepped away.
Mr Sheeran’s own backing band Beoga also departed, citing “the silencing of Macklemore by Zionist lobbies” as their reason for walking out.
Jeremy Clarkson has defended Sheeran
|
GETTYMr Sheeran defended his decision to keep his political views private in an Instagram statement earlier this week. “I am not complicit. I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn’t mean I don’t have them, and it doesn’t mean I don’t care,” he wrote.
He added that he was “appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine” and maintained his concerts should offer “safety and sanctuary” rather than serve as a political forum.
Sheeran’s first performance since the crisis erupted is scheduled for Saturday evening in Philadelphia, where pro-Palestinian groups are planning demonstrations outside the venue.
Comments are closed.