Repression of Free Speech Is Never the Way

Neither New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft nor the rapper Macklemore have any business being the center of a serious national conversation, but somehow, here we are. This week, venue owners for Ed Sheeran ’s Loop Tour — including, most prominently, Kraft — ordered his promoter to fire the rapper , who was an opening act. Why? He had spoken out from the stage, declaring “Free Palestine” and showing images of the destruction of Gaza.

“Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium,” Macklemore wrote in a statement . “Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: If Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.”

Kraft, whose Kraft Sports Group also owns the Pats’ home of Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where Sheeran is scheduled to perform two shows later this month, admitted to barring Macklemore from the venue in a statement, saying that there had been “too much suffering” in the war in Gaza and that “standing with the Palestinian people and standing against Hamas, antisemitism, and hate should not be mutually exclusive.” He added that he would welcome a conversation with Macklemore “to discuss the facts, because ultimately our goal is the same — peace for all people, an end to suffering, and an end to all hate.” (He did not address the allegation that he had “rallied” other venue owners.)

But then why not have that important conversation before banning the artist? This ham-fisted effort by a rich and powerful man to silence views could have a chilling effect on other artists — or really anyone willing to take a stand for what they believe in. Attempts to muffle creative voices through bullying and strong-arm tactics are fundamentally anti-American and have become all too common in recent years.

Moreover, although Kraft may have the right to ban anyone he wants from performing at his venue — that’s freedom of expression, too, after all — this effort was sure to backfire from the start. There’s a phenomenon known as the Streisand effect, when attempts to hide or censor something draw magnitudes more attention to it. This is exactly what Kraft has unleashed with his actions. Nobody was thinking about Macklemore two weeks ago. Today, millions more people know about his stance on this issue and, thanks to Kraft, many see him as a martyr for a cause. Editor’s picks The 250 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century So Far The 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century

On Tuesday, Sheeran’s other opening acts (Finneas, Lukas Graham, and Aaron Rowe) quit the tour in protest of the owners’ ban and declared “Free Palestine” on the way out the door. The Irish band Beoga, who have been performing select songs with Sheeran on the tour, also withdrew.