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Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap have hit out at what they have dubbed a “coordinated smear campaign” of “false accusations of antisemitism, amid reports that they have split with their booking agency.
The politically outspoken group caused uproar after making a series of anti-Israel, pro-Palestine statements at Coachella Festival, which prompted Sharon Osborne to call for their US work visas to be revoked.
“Since our statements at Coachella – exposing the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people – we have faced a coordinated smear campaign,” the group said in a statement posted to Instagram.
“For over a year, we have used our shows to call out the British and Irish governments’ complicity in war crimes.”
They continued: “The recent attacks against us, largely emanating from the US, are based on deliberate distortions and falsehoods. We are taking action against several of those malicious efforts.”
Kneecap said the reason they were being “targeted” was 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*** 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.”
The statement did not address reports that emerged this week that Kneecap and their booking agency, Independent Artist Group, had severed their relationship between the first and second weekends of Coachella.
The news was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter, which said it was “unclear” what led to the split.
The band, who formed in west Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 2017, have been vocal supporters of Palestine and are known to wave flags and lead chants of “Free Palestine” during their shows.
At Coachella festival earlier this month, they displayed a graphic that read “F*** Israel, Free Palestine” during their set.
One message said, “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” followed by: “It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes.”
Bandmember Mo Chara also reportedly said: “The Irish not so long ago were persecuted at the hands of the Brits, but we were never bombed from the… skies with nowhere to go.
“The Palestinians have nowhere to go. This is their f***ing home, and they’re being bombed from the sky.”
Kneecap earlier claimed that their display was censored from Coachella’s livestream on the first weekend; on the second, no streaming at all took place from the tent they were performing in.
In their statement, they said that “media spin” would not change their stance: “Our only concern is the Palestinian people – the 20,000 murdered children and counting. The young people at our gigs see through the lies. They stand on the side of humanity and justice. And that gives us great hope.”
In the wake of the Coachella controversy, Kneecap’s opponents have resurfaced videos from past performances, including one that appeared to show one member of the group shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”.
Hamas and Hezbollah are both proscribed as terrorist groups in the UK. Under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000, it is an offence to express “an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation”.
The footage was shared online by Danny Morris of the Jewish security charity, the Community Security Trust, who said it was from a gig last November at Kentish Town Forum in London.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told Sky News: “We have been made aware of the video and it has been referred to the counter terrorism internet referral unit for assessment and to determine whether any further police investigation may be required.”
The Independent has contacted Kneecap’s representatives for comment.
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