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The Irish rappers Kneecap have always raised political controversy. It happened again during the two weekends of the Coachella, when during their set they projected Pro Palestine messages. As Mo Chara explains in an e-mail sent to Rolling“We are talking about Palestine in every concert and this well before October 2023. The oppression of that people and the brutal occupation of those territories has been going on for 77 years”.
«We feel the duty to use our visibility to talk about these things. Doing it at the Coachella was important since the United States are the main financier and supplier of weapons in Israel, who is committing a genocide in Gaza. As I said from the stage, if the US government wanted to stop the genocide already tomorrow. It is important that young Americans feel it, they know it ».
During the first performance of the Kneecap at the Coachella it was expected that Pro Palestine writings were projected. They were not seen and the performance was cut early in the live on YouTube. “We only knew the next day, we have not received any official communication,” writes Mo Chara. “Not that it surprises us. The big companies does not like the truth, unless it serves to fill your pockets ».
In the second weekend, the writings were seen: “Israel is making a genocide against the Palestinian people”, “The government of the United States is permitting it, Armando and financing Israel despite war crimes”, “Fuck Israel, Palestine Libera”. In the end, the public intoned the “Free Palestine” song. “It happens to all our concerts, from Spain to Scotland, from Ireland to Iceland, and this is because people know that what is happening is wrong and is pissed off. The “Free Palestine” song to Coachella was a message of solidarity addressed to the population of Gaza by Americans who want to see the end of the genocide, despite their government, he is Armando and financing Israel “.
The performance of the Coachella Kneecap followed the position of the positions of organizations and public figures who read it as an anti-Israel position. Mo Chara: «In the last year and a half Israel has killed over 52 thousand Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children. They have razed part of the Gaza strip to the ground using the weapons provided by the United States and at the moment they are making Gazawi's two million hungry. People can decide independently if our message is or is not anti-Israel. As we see it, the manager is the government, not the Israeli people ».
Coachella 2025 Will be Remembered as a Festival that Compromised Its Moral and Spiritual Integrity. Goldenvoice, The Organizer Festival, Facilitated This by Allawing Artists to use The Coachella Stage As a Platform for Political Expression. At a time when the world is … pic.twitter.com/moqsvyc2hs
– Sharon Osbourne (@Mrssosbourne) April 22, 2025
Among the critical voices there is that of Sharon Osbourne, who asked X asked for the revocation of the work visa granted to the Kneecap and defined the word “Fuck Israel, Free Palestine” a message of hatred. According to her, it is the demonstration that the band “openly supports terrorist organizations”. For Mo Chara, “his sprolquio has so many logic flaws that he doesn't even deserve an answer. Maybe he should listen War Pigs written by the Black Sabbath (her husband) ».
The organizers of the Nova Music Festival, theater of the Hamas massacre to which Israel reacted invading Gaza, invited the Kneecap to the Nova Exhibition so that they can “touch the stories of those who have been killed, of those who survived, of those who are still hostage”.
Mo Chara does not respond to the invitation, but says that “at the moment there are more than 10 thousand Palestinians in Israeli prisons, many of which without any charge,., Nor trial. Among them there are 400 children illegally detained in spite of international laws. As I have already said, more than 52 thousand Palestinians have been killed in the last 18 months and over two million people have been hunted by their homes. Who speaks of the 30 thousand innocent children killed in Gaza? Our message is: we must end the genocide and illegal occupation of Palestine ».
“We want people to do anything to stop genocide. You can think what you want of our music, stopping the genocide is much more important ».
From Rolling Stone Us.
