Ms Rachel and Greta Thunberg speak out as Ed Sheeran tour row grows - IOL

Greta Thunberg accused Ed Sheeran of a “lack of spine”, while Ms Rachel urged people to focus on children suffering in Gaza, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo amid the growing fallout over Macklemore.

Ed Sheeran is facing mounting criticism from climate activist Greta Thunberg and children’s educator Ms Rachel following the explosive fallout over rapper Macklemore’s removal from the singer’s US tour.

Thunberg accused Sheeran of having a “lack of spine”, while Ms Rachel called for greater attention to children and people suffering in the Gaza genocide.

The backlash comes after Macklemore was removed from the remaining US dates of Sheeran’s Loop Tour after making outspoken pro-Palestinian comments during a performance at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.

Sheeran has maintained that the decision was not his.

He said the decision to remove Macklemore was made by the tour promoter and venues, rather than by him personally.

The dispute has since grown into a wider debate about the responsibility of artists with large platforms to speak out about the genocide in Gaza and other humanitarian crises.

Thunberg has now entered the row, saying Sheeran should be held accountable over his handling of the controversy.

“Ed Sheeran should be held accountable for his lack of spine,” Thunberg said.

She argued that people with significant public platforms and access to resources have a greater responsibility to act.

“The bigger your platform and your access to resources, the bigger your responsibility,” she said.

Thunberg also called on people to move beyond statements and support measures including boycotts, sanctions and divestment.

Her comments came as Sheeran attempted to explain his position on the genocide in Gaza and the controversy surrounding Macklemore.

Sheeran has said he is “appalled” by the suffering caused by the Israel-Palestine conflict and described it as a human tragedy.

He has also said he does not want his concerts to become political platforms, while maintaining that his decision to keep his shows focused on music should not be interpreted as indifference to the suffering of civilians.

Children’s educator and YouTube star Ms Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Accurso, has also weighed in on the controversy.

She urged people not to lose sight of children and civilians affected by the genocide.

“Just a reminder who we need to focus on. We need to focus on kids and people who are suffering in an ongoing genocide,” she said.

Ms Rachel referred to Kinan, saying his entire family had been killed, and highlighted what she described as a new acronym being used in Gaza.

“WCNSF - Wounded child No Surviving Family,” she said.

The acronym refers to children who have been wounded while having no surviving family members.

Ms Rachel has previously used her large social-media platform to speak about children affected by the genocide in Gaza.

She also broadened her comments to children suffering in other parts of the world, including Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

She argued that the international response to suffering can differ depending on the race of those affected.

“When children who have white skin are suffering, the world unites to come to their aid and speak out,” she said.

She accused people with privilege of turning away from children suffering elsewhere.

“Kids in Sudan, Gaza and the DRC are being killed and suffering and starving and people who are comfortable and have privilege turn away. It’s racism and it makes me sick,” she said.

The controversy surrounding Sheeran and Macklemore erupted after the rapper spoke about Palestinians during his September 4 performance at MetLife Stadium.

Macklemore has been an outspoken supporter of Palestinians and has used his performances to discuss the genocide in Gaza.

Following his comments, he was removed from the remaining US dates of Sheeran’s tour.

Sheeran subsequently said he had not made the decision and that the promoter and venues were responsible.

The fallout also saw other artists associated with the tour withdraw.

The dispute has placed Sheeran in an increasingly difficult public position as criticism has grown from people who believe musicians should use their platforms to speak about humanitarian crises.

Thunberg went further in her criticism, saying people needed to be prepared to leave their comfort zones when confronting what they believe are serious injustices.

“If we ourselves are not stepping out of our comfort zones, we are not doing enough. And remember, silence is complicity and you cannot be neutral in a genocide,” she said.

Her comments came as the debate over Sheeran’s position continued to spread beyond the music industry.

Macklemore’s supporters have defended his right to speak about Gaza from the stage, while Sheeran has maintained that he wants his concerts to provide an escape from political divisions.