Hungary bans Irish rap group Kneecap from the country
July 24 (UPI) -- The Hungarian government has banned Irish rap group Kneecap from the country "for anti-Semitism and glorifying terrorism," on Thursday.
"This is what we call service by public notice. In plain English: if you won't read the letter, you'll see it on the poster," international spokesman Zoltan Kovacs posted on X.
Kneecap members have accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza and supporting Iranian militant groups. Israel denied these claims.
The group's lead singer Mo Chara has allegedly displayed a flag in support of Hezbollah and has been charged with a terror offense in the U.K. he has denied doing this.
"This isn't just protest it's support for terror, celebration of extremist violence and a clear anti‑Semitic statement," Kovacs wrote on X. "Granting them a stage normalizes hate and terror, and puts democratic values on the line."
The group was going to perform at the Sziget Festival in Budapest on Aug 11.
"This is an unprecedented move which we believe is both unnecessary and regrettable," Sziget organizers said on social media.
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