Ed Sheeran resumed his tour in Philadelphia on Saturday, days after opening act Macklemore was dropped from the tour following pro-Palestinian comments he made onstage. Sheeran’s return to the stage at Lincoln Financial Field came after his opening acts and supporting band withdrew in solidarit y with Macklemore. Sheeran addressed the crowd before playing songs, saying that he believes performers should have freedom of speech and said the situation in Gaza is “unjustifiable.” As of Saturday morning, Ticketmaster did not list any other performers joining Sheeran as part of his LOOP Tour. Videos shared with NBC10 showed Sheeran playing alone with an acoustic guitar, but a backup band did join him later in the evening. Sheeran also said he got rid of the B stage that was planned to be placed in the middle of the crowd because he was unsure if people would welcome him on stage. NBC Philadelphia’s Kelsey Kushner was at the scene as protesters gathered on Saturday. The crowd was near SEPTA’s NRG Station, but no schisms between fans and protesters have been reported. Adi Chattopadhyay, one of the protesters, said they are there to give voice to Palestine. “If Ed Sheeran won’t let Macklemore  talk about Palestine, then the city of Philadelphia will talk about Palestine for you,” he said. “We’re here to talk about going on on the ground in Gaza, and the work that community organizations and this city are doing to advocate for the end to the genocide in Gaza.” The Philadelphia Police Department was also in the area monitoring the situation. Before Saturday, the PPD told NBC Philadelphia that officers are “working closely with venue and event organizers to help ensure the safety of concertgoers, employees, and neighborhood residents.” “PPD routinely monitors large events and assesses staffing needs to ensure an appropriate police presence. There is a protest group expected there tomorrow. Our Civil Affairs Unit will be on hand to ensure everyone’s safety during protected 1st Amendment activity,” police wrote. Many concertgoers said they were still happy to see the show and that the concert is not a place for politics. “I come here to hear the music, I don’t care what anybody thinks about… this isn’t where I want to talk about politics,” said Betty Ann Albee, of West Chester. Toward the end of the concert, Sheeran thanked the warm welcome from fans and apologized for bringing up politics because he knows it was not what many people came to see him for. How the controversy started Saturday’s show comes after a tumultuous week that began with Macklemore being dropped from the tour after exclaiming “Free Palestine” during a Sept. 5 show in New Jersey. Sheeran has said he was not responsible for the decision, which came at the urging of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. His company owns Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, where Sheeran’s tour is scheduled to play on Friday , Sept. 23, and Saturday, Sept. 24. Within hours of Sheeran’s statement Tuesday, his supporting acts began withdrawing from the tour. Finneas, Billie Eilish’s brother and musical collaborator, was due to tour with Sheeran in South America later this year before he also dropped out earlier this week. “Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” Finneas said on Instagram. “I have decided to withdraw from my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran. I stand with Palestine and its people.” Sheeran has said the tour promoter was ultimately responsible for the decision to drop Macklemore. The Grammy winner was adamant in his Tuesday statement that he wouldn’t be drawn into a discussion of the war in Gaza, arguing that his fans don’t come to his shows to hear about those issues. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos) He also said he “spoke with the venues at length all week to try to build a bridge” before Macklemore was dropped. He insisted he would never willingly let down his fans or abandon the touring crew and others who rely on him to make a living. Philadelphia fans react Some Ed Sheeran fans who had tickets to the Philadelphia concert told NBC Philadelphia that they were trying to sell them because of the controversy. Karen DeAngelis of Gloucester, Virginia, said she was looking to sell her tickets after planning her trip to Philadelphia for almost a year. “Honestly, I’m really disappointed in Ed Sheeran,” DeAngelis said. Ticketmaster says refunds or resales are generally available only if the event organizer approves them, with sales otherwise considered final. “Sometimes you think, ‘Should I separate and just enjoy the music from who the person is?’ And certainly sometimes you can’t do that because what they’re doing is so egregious that it’s just very different from how your morals are as a person,” DeAngelis said. This story originally appeared on NBCPhiladelphia.com. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less