Kneecap Blast 'Coordinated Smear Campaign' Since Coachella Performance

Kneecap on stage at Coachella earlier this monthThe members of Kneecap have claimed they have been the centre of a “coordinated smear campaign” since their much-discussed appearance at the Coachella music festival.Earlier this month, the West Belfast rap trio performed at Coachella, where they made an impassioned display of solidarity with Palestine amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.During the second week of the festival, they projected messages like “fuck Israel, free Palestine”, and led the Coachella crowd in a chant of “free Palestine”.Meanwhile, band member Mo Chara also said: “The Irish not so long ago were persecuted at the hands of the Brits, but we were never bombed from the fucking skies with nowhere to go.“The Palestinians have nowhere to go, it’s their fucking home and they’re bombing them from the skies. If you’re not calling it a genocide what the fuck are you calling it?”Kneecap’s Coachella set wound up making headlines due to their political comments, exacerbated further when Sharon Osbourne suggested their US work visas should be revoked due to their remarks on stage.“Kneecap, an Irish rap group, took their performance to a different level by incorporating aggressive political statements. Their actions included projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech, and this band openly support terrorist organisations,” she alleged.“This behaviour raises concerns about the appropriateness of their participation in such a festival and further shows they are booked to play in the USA.”In response to Sharon’s claim that Kneecap “took their performance to a different level by incorporating aggressive political statements”, a spokesperson for the band told HuffPost UK last week: “Statements aren’t aggressive, murdering 20,000 children is though. Or executing 15 medics and burying them and their ambulances.”Kneecap musician DJ ProvaiOver the weekend, they wrote on Instagram: “Since our statements at Coachella – exposing the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people – we have faced a coordinated smear campaign. For over a year, we have used our shows to call out the British and Irish governments’ complicity in war crimes.“The recent attacks against us, largely emanating from the US, are based on deliberate distortions and falsehoods. We are taking action against several of these malicious efforts.“Let us be absolutely clear. The reason Kneecap is being targeted is simple – we are telling the truth, and our audience is growing. Those attacking us want to silence criticism of a mass slaughter. They weaponise false accusations of antisemitism to distract, confuse, and provide cover for genocide.“We do not give a f*ck what religion anyone practices. We know there are massive numbers of Jewish people outraged by this genocide just as we are. What we care about is that governments of the countries we perform in are enabling some of the most horrific crimes of our lifetimes – and we will not stay silent.”Read the band’s full statement below:View this post on InstagramA post shared by KNEECAP (@kneecap32)Days before Kneecap’s statement, it had been reported that counter-terrorism police were assessing a video in which they reportedly declared “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” during a gig in London last year.Sky News noted that both of these groups have been declared terrorist organisations in the UK, meaning it is illegal to voice support for them.On Monday morning, it was reported that a second video – this time believed to have been recorded a year earlier – is also being assessed by the counter-terrorism policeIn the clip in question, BBC News has alleged that the band declare: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”A spokesperson for the Met Police said: “We were made aware of a video on 22 April, believed to be from an event in November 2024, and it has been referred to the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) for assessment and to determine whether any further police investigation may be required.“We have also been made aware of another video believed to be from an event in November 2023.”A spokesperson for the UK government was also quoted by BBC News as saying: “We unequivocally condemn threatening remarks made towards any individual.“Political intimidation and abuse must have no place in our society. We recognise the chilling effect that harassment and intimidation of elected representatives can have on our democracy.“All reports of intimidation, harassment and threats are taken extremely seriously. We work with the police and Parliament to do everything in our power to crack down on threats to elected officials.”READ MORE:Kneecap React To Sharon Osbourne's Call To Revoke Their US Visas Over Coachella Set'This Has To Stop': Justin Bieber Makes Impassioned Plea On InstagramPedro Pascal Brands JK Rowling A 'Heinous Loser' In Light Of Supreme Court's Trans Ruling

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