{"id":64170,"date":"2025-04-30T23:30:08","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T23:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/64170\/"},"modified":"2025-04-30T23:30:08","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T23:30:08","slug":"kneecap-festival-concerts-germany-cancelled-anti-israel-kill-your-mp-footage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/64170\/","title":{"rendered":"Kneecap Festival Concerts Germany Cancelled Anti-Israel, Kill Your MP Footage"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tIrish hip-hop trio Kneecap<\/a> have had several Several upcoming concerts in Germany canceled after the band\u2019s controversial \u201cfuck Israel\u201d message displayed on the screen during their Coachella<\/a> set, along with resurfaced videos from a Kneecap concert <\/a>where the band called to kill members of parliament. <\/p>\n

\n\tLast week, the German music<\/a> festivals Hurricane and Southside, organized by FKP Scorpio, appeared to remove Kneecap from the festival lineups without explanation. The band confirmed in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that the group \u201cwill not be performing at Hurricane or Southside Festival this year,\u201d instead pointing fans to three headline concerts in Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg slated for early September. But as of Wednesday, the ticket pages for the concerts state those shows have been nixed as well. <\/p>\n

\n\tSome of Kneecap\u2019s Israel-Palestine statements could be considered hate speech under some interpretations of German law. <\/a>For example, in some German states including Berlin, the expression \u201cFrom the River to the Sea\u201d is considered prosecutable hate speech.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tThe German show cancellations are just the latest fallout for Kneecap after they made headlines for pro-Palestine, anti-Israel pronouncements during the second weekend of Coachella <\/a>this month. Jewish groups in the music industry such as the Creative Community for Peace, and individuals like Sharon Osbourne, had called for the band\u2019s visas to be revoked. Between Coachella\u2019s weekends one and two, the group parted ways with their booking agency IAG though the cause of the split is unclear. The separation with the agency could put the group\u2019s visas into question as IAG was the band\u2019s visa sponsor. <\/p>\n

\n\tSince then, UK counter-terrorism authorities began investigating historical Kneecap concert footage where the band appeared to offer words of support to Hamas and Hezbollah \u2014 both of which the U.K. lists as terrorist organizations \u2014 as well as other videos where the band calls for the death of Conservative MPs in Britain. <\/p>\n

\n\tKneecap were formed in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 2017, and have long been a controversial and vocally political group. The group consists of Mo Chara, M\u00f3gla\u00ed Bap and the DJ Pr\u00f3va\u00ed. They are strongly associated with Irish Republicanism, the movement\u00a0calling for the reunification of Ireland away from British rule. Kneecap broke through in 2018 with their debut single \u201cC.E.A.R.T.A.,\u201d which is Irish for \u201crights.\u201d They released their debut studio album\u00a03CAG\u00a0that year, and their second album\u00a0Fine Art\u00a0through Heavenly Recordings in 2024.<\/p>\n

\n\tKneecap has repeatedly rebuked allegations of antisemitism since the latest controversy, saying that their statements are aimed at the Israeli government and stating the backlash they\u2019ve faced is part of a smear campaign. The band took to Instagram<\/a> on Tuesday and said that they \u201cdo not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe also reject any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual. Ever,\u201d the band said. The Kneecap band said past concert footage had been \u201ctaken out of all context\u201d and is now being \u201cweaponized.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cSuddenly, days after calling out the U.S. administration at Coachella to applause and solidarity, there is an avalanche of outrage and condemnation by the political classes of Britain,\u201d Kneecap wrote. \u201cThe real crimes are not in our performances; the real crimes are the silence and complicity of those in power.<\/p>\n