British band forms alliance of musicians to advocate for Gaza

Roya News

19-07-2025

A new alliance of prominent UK and Irish musicians, spearheaded by Massive Attack, Brian Eno, Kneecap, and Fontaines D.C., publicly announced its formation.
This collective aims to combat what its members describe as "aggressive, vexatious campaigns" of censorship within the music industry, particularly targeting artists who speak out against 'Israel's' ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The alliance emphasizes that the situation in Gaza has 'moved beyond description'.
The alliance's core mission is to protect artists from "threats into silence or career cancellation" and encourages vulnerable artists to contact them for support.
They have outlined concrete demands, including an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, immediate and unfettered access for recognized aid agencies, an end to the 'atrocious targeting' of medical and aid workers, and a cessation of UK arms sales and licenses to 'Israel'.
Censorship Campaigns and Recent Incidents
The alliance directly addresses "aggressive, vexatious campaigns" and "intimidation tactics" experienced by artists who voice opinions on Palestine.
They explicitly name UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) as instrumental in orchestrating these campaigns, including legal threats and reports to law enforcement. The campaign group Led By Donkeys released a documentary on July 17, claiming to expose UKLFI's "attempted censorship activities" and the "weaponisation of antisemitism".
The formation of this alliance was directly spurred by several recent, high-profile controversies:
Bob Vylan: At the Glastonbury festival, the UK punk-rap duo chanted "Free, free Palestine" and "Death to the IDF." The BBC issued an apology, police initiated a criminal investigation, their agent terminated their contract, and the US Deputy Secretary of State announced a US travel ban. Bob Vylan denied accusations of hate speech, calling the backlash a "distraction" from "the slaughter of innocents" in Gaza.
Kneecap: The Irish hip-hop trio gained global attention in May 2025 after projecting "Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people" at the Coachella festival. They faced a "global political and media witch-hunt," leading to concert cancellations and a terrorism charge against a member for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag. However, on July 18, 2025, Avon and Somerset Police announced they were dropping the criminal investigation into Kneecap due to "insufficient evidence".
An open letter titled "Artists Say No to Censorship," circulated by Kneecap's record label, garnered widespread support from over 100 US, British, and Irish bands, musicians, and DJs, including Christy Moore, Dexys, Fontaines D.C., Leftfield, Massive Attack, Mogwai, Orbital, Paul Weller, Primal Scream, Brian Eno, Paloma Faith, Kae Tempest, and Tom Morello.
Caroline Turner, director of UKLFI, asserted that Massive Attack had "launched an attack on our organization, which helps to protect victims of anti-Jewish and anti-Israel racism".
UKLFI confirmed reporting Bob Vylan and Kneecap to the police and warning venues about "risks". Massive Attack countered that their visuals were part of a larger collage and taken out of context.