In an Instagram post on September 14th, artist Macklemore announced that he had been kicked off Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour after saying ‘Free Palestine’ on stage, and that MetLife stadium owner Robert Kraft threatened to cancel Sheeran’s tour if Macklemore remained a part of it. In response to Macklemore’s statement, Ed Sheeran writes: ‘there is a reason I do not use my professional platform for politics – my audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds. Those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum’.
My question is, what about the children of Palestine? They do not have the same privilege to ‘opt out’ of politics. Sheeran’s statements about wanting ‘peace’ is in itself political, ignoring the barriers to peace that Palestinians around the world face. Art is political, and it always has been. The ability to make art, to stand on a stage and share your beliefs, is a privilege that isn’t available to so many people. I believe that to ignore this privilege is not to be ‘neutral’, but a choice to be complicit.
The argument of whether celebrities have a responsibility to speak up on politics isn’t a new one, and it has merits on both sides. From my perspective, celebrities don’t have a responsibility to share their thoughts on every single ‘everyday’ political topic. However, when a humanitarian crisis, a genocide, is rife, I believe this is where politics becomes an obligation. The Israel-Palestine conflict has undoubtedly produced irrevocable harm on both sides; Israel’s disproportionate response to the October 7th attacks by Hamas have resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians, and it has since become clear that the Israeli government is committing a genocide in Gaza. In this case, staying silent isn’t keeping the ‘peace’ and remaining neutral: its complicity with Israel and the atrocities committed in Gaza.
Ed Sheeran’s statements made me think a lot about ignorance in politics, and if we can ever truly be ‘neutral’ to everything going on in the world. I’ve since had discussions with my friends and family about whether ignorance is bliss, and how to balance activism with wellbeing, knowledge with peace, and I have some thoughts.
In an ideal world, everyone would be a political activist, attending rallies after work and spending hours researching and debating current affairs. However, for many of us this isn’t feasible. As an International Relations student, I sometimes have to mute the news app I have on my phone, because hearing of everything that’s going on in the world harms my wellbeing, especially if I’m stressed out with exams or feeling down. I completely understand why tuning off from the world entirely seems so appealing, especially right now. Whether you’re struggling with mental health, friendships, or school, adding concern for the nightmare that is global politics to your list of things to worry about can seem overwhelming. So, how can we attempt to find a balance between ignorance and activism?
I’ve found that a balanced relationship with knowledge about what’s going on in the world is the best approach, and has actually improved my wellbeing. Especially in a town as tiny as St Andrews, our bubble can feel like the entire world; essays become identity-defining, breakups feel like the end of the world, and your problems here can feel magnified, at least in my personal experience. Just like heading home for the weekend expands my perspective and helps me cope with the whirlwind of St Andrews life, staying engaged with the world has broadened my worldview and how I frame my struggles. Not to mention that staying informed about what’s going on in the world is a form of empathy, and can boost self-esteem and your ability to show up for loved ones in your personal life.
Your activism doesn’t have to take over your entire life. It’s possible to have balance, and for your activism to show up in your daily life. Even just staying informed is a great start. But to ignore your privilege, to pretend like anything happening outside of St Andrews is another world away, isn’t just ignorance, it’s irresponsibility. As humans, students, friends, and a world community, we owe it to one another to listen, to speak when others can’t.
This is why the Ed Sheeran comments about remaining neutral really upset me, alongside many others around the world. The world changes when people stick together, when people use their voices to speak for those whose voices have been taken away from them. Ed Sheeran’s claim to neutrality is a choice to ignore his privilege, his platform that could have been used to raise money for Palestinian children, or to bring further awareness of the genocide to those who otherwise would have remained ‘neutral’ themselves. Each time someone chooses the silence of the ‘middle ground’ over speaking up, we fail as a community.
‘Not experiencing’ politics is a privilege. Attending university is a privilege. Being able to use your voice to advocate for others is a privilege. The most important foundation of activism is awareness of this privilege. Naturally, this awareness may manifest in engaging in a dinner table conversation about politics, productively challenging a friend’s view that you might disagree with, or reading a book about the history of a current conflict to understand it better. If you’re looking for a short read to help you be more informed about the Israel-Palestine conflict, A Very Short History of the Israel–Palestine Conflict by Ilan Pappe is a great place to start.
And I get it, standing up for what you believe in, particularly an issue as contentious and emotionally charged as the Palestinian genocide, can be daunting. Especially for artists, when their career can be snatched out from underneath them after holding up a flag on stage, or reposting a statement of activism on their Instagram story, speaking up can often be the much harder choice. But when you have privilege– and a £410 million net worth to fall back on– it is your responsibility as a human being to use it and speak up for others. My hope is that Macklemore’s bravery will prompt other artists to use their platforms to speak up for what’s right, and to view ‘middle ground’ neutrality for what it is — not staying ‘out of politics’, but actively ignoring the unimaginable suffering of thousands of people.
I also hope that this article has prompted you to think about how you can become more of an activist in your daily life, and how you can use your voice. Even if it’s just beginning with an awareness of privilege, or a conversation with a friend sharing beliefs about what’s going on in the world, the simplest forms of activism can be so much more impactful than you might realise. Any way that you can resist the tempting illusion of neutrality is a step away from ignorance and towards a fairer world.