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Irish rap trio Kneecap used the stage and setting of Coachella to deliver a string of abusive messages against Israel during their performance Friday.
Ynetnews.com reports the Belfast band members displayed slogans on stage including “F**k Israel, Free Palestine” and “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people.”
A follow-up caption read: “Enabled by the U.S. government, which arms and funds Israel despite their war crimes,” the outlet notes.
They later took to their social media account on X to share some of the messages while alleging they were cut from the live-feed on purpose by organizers.
Addressing the audience, lead vocalist Mo Chara reportedly drew a comparison between Irish and Palestinian experiences, saying:
Not long ago, the Irish were persecuted by the British, but we were never bombed from the f-ing sky with nowhere to go. Palestinians have nowhere to go. This is their f-ing home, and they’re being bombed from the sky.
The Ynet report further notes in addition to their criticism of Israel, Kneecap also led chants against former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher during both of their festival appearances, declaring, “Free Palestine and the Six Counties!” — a slogan calling for the unification of Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland.
Kneecap had already accused Coachella of suppressing their anti-Israel hate messaging during their first-weekend appearance at the festival.
Fans of Irish Hip Hop trio Kneecap wait for the band to perform during the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at Empire Polo Club on April 11, 2025 in Indio, California. (VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
Kneecap performs at Sonora Tent during the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 18, 2025 in Indio, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella)
In a post dated 12 April, the trio criticised organisers for allegedly preventing their on-screen visuals from being displayed during their set- a decision they said they were determined to challenge, NME reports.
Speaking to AFP, the artists said they’ve watched the claimed suppression of pro-Palestinian activism under Donald Trump’s White House with concern: “It’s obviously a pretty scary time for people here,” Mo Chara said.
