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It was all eyes on Kneecap yesterday as the controversial Irish rappers took to the stage at this year’s Rock en Seine festival in Paris.
The band’s inclusion on the line-up for one of France’s biggest and most popular music events had already been source of controversy, as there were calls made to remove the group from the bill. The festival ended up having its funding substantially cut, and the French Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau was forced to reiterate his zero-tolerance stance towards any disorder.
The owner of Rock en Seine, Matthieu Pigasse, said to those who opposed the presence of Kneecap on stage: “To claim that supporting the Palestinian cause is a threat to public order is deplorable.”
So, did they behave? In a word: yes. The Kneecap way.
The rap trio took to the Rock en Seine stage following weeks of tension due to their controversial remarks aimed at Israel.
The teased their appearance with a post on X that read: “La République française, We will see you later today at Rock En Seine, Paris. We are on stage at 6.25pm. They’ve tried to stop us, they’ve failed. Libetré, Égalité, Fraternité.”
They wasted no time in sending a message to the French government, much like they did to the British and Hungarian governments recently. Their show screen read (in perfect French): “Le gouvernement Français est complice: il vend et facilite le commerce d’armes à l’armée Israélienne.” (“The French government is complicit: it sells and facilitates the trade of weapons to the Israeli army.”)
Pro-Israel supporters in Paris did attempt to disrupt the start of Kneecap’s performance, with people waving anti-Kneecap flags and blowing on whistles to disrupt the show.
However, the band had the final word on the matter, as they called out the protestors.
Rapper Móglaí Bap said: “They wanna try and stop us. They don’t want us to play the festival. We’re not going to allow them to get away. We’re not like them. We’re not like Israel. We’re not here to cause fights. We’re here to have a good time. If anyone blows whistles, let security know, we’ll get rid of them. No aggravation. It’s all love, all support for Palestine.”
Mo Chara continued: “I know we’re angry, we’re frustrated. Do not let these people feel that. We’re here for love, enjoyment and support.”
The disruptors were removed from the crowd as chants of “Free, free Palestine” echoed across the festival. Check out the moment below:
Following this incident at the start of the gig, the rest of the set went off without a hitch.
While festivals like Germany’s Hurricane and Southside festivals and Hungary’s Sziget festival dropped the trio, festivals like Green Man and Rock en Seine have stood by the band and their freedom of speech.
Kneecap has consistently denied accusations of anti-Semitism, claiming that those attacking the band “weaponize” the false accusation to “distract, confuse, and provide cover for genocide.” Undeterred by accusations and certain festivals dropping them, Kneecap has continued to repeatedly use their platform to speak out not against the Jewish people but against Israel’s war in Gaza.
They did so at Coachella – where they denounced the US government’s funding of “war criminal Israel”; at Best Kept Secret – where the pre-show screening denounces the “Israeli genocide and the Western media’s cover-up”; at Glastonbury – where their controversial set alongside Bob Vylan launched a police investigation; during their set at Øyafestivalen in Oslo; and even in Hungary, where they sent their fans a video message despite being banned from the country by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Last week, band member Mo Chara appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court over terrorism charges levelled against him in May for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag during a show last November.
Mo Chara was released, for the second time, on unconditional bail and it was announced that judgement has been reserved. The next hearing is set to be held on Friday 26 September.
Responding to the original terror charge earlier this year, the group said: “This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction. We are not the story. Genocide is.”
