Edinburgh-born singer Shirley Manson has backed Northern Irish hip hop trio Kneecap and called for free speech over Gaza after they were removed from the TRNSMT festival.
Manson, 58, says she supports the band after they were ditched by the TRNSMT line-up due to safety concerns, reports The Daily Record.
Describing the trio as “decent young artists”, the Garbage singer insisted they had a right to criticise an Israeli government which is accused of carrying out a genocide in Gaza.
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She said: “Did Kneecap exercise the best judgment in their choice of words?
“I see why some people freaked out, but we all know deep down that they’re decent young artists trying to affect change in some way and get us all to at least recognise that these people exist.
“While I sympathise with the fear and the historical suffering, the ancestral pain, I still don’t understand how anyone can see what’s going on in Gaza and not be crying out for it to stop.”
She admitted that she could face a backlash for her support of the Belfast group.
Manson said: “I find it perplexing. I understand that’s just a tactic to shut people up.
“Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. If you’re not physically hurting anyone, you’re entitled to express it.
“What everyone is begging for is for the slaughter to stop and I don’t see how anyone could argue against that, but they accuse us of being terrorist supporters.
“None of us are.
“If you cancel me, you cancel me… If you cancel us, I’ll feel guilty that I’ve messed sh** up for my band, but I’d much rather be true to who I am as a human being, how I was raised by a family I’m very proud of.”
Kneecap’s removal from this summer’s TRNSMT bill has led to calls from hundreds of music fans to boycott the festival.
One fan, Laura, posted on X: “Just sold my TRNSMT ticket. No Kneecap, no attendance. Not going to a festival that silences people for calling out a genocide.”
Another, Rosanna Tarsiero, posted: “Let’s all just pull out of TRNSMT – forever.”
Fearghas Kelly said: “love the concept of boycotting TRNSMT. It’s like boycotting ready salted crisps in a meal deal.”
The Gaza Genocide Emergency Committee backed the boycott in a statement that said: “TRNSMT say they are acting on ‘police concerns’ over ‘public safety’. This is a spurious claim and a cowardly evasion by TRNSMT in seeking to remove the band and avoid responsibility for their own decision. Boycott TRNSMT.”
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