Latest news with #CEARTA
Belfast Telegraph
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
Kneecap rapper makes surprise Féile appearance leading crowd in ‘free Palestine' chant
Kneecap star Naoise Ó Cairealláin made a surprise appearance at Féile an Phobail last night as he led the 12,000-strong crowd in chants of 'free Palestine', shouted 'free the six counties' and sang the band's hit CEARTA. The rapper – who performs under the stage name Móglái Bap – appeared during the 'Let the People Sing' night on Sunday as he collaborated on stage with the Irish Brigade band.
Belfast Telegraph
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
Kneecap rapper Móglái Bap makes surprise Féile appearance leading crowd in ‘free Palestine' chant
Kneecap star Naoise Ó Cairealláin made a surprise appearance at Féile an Phobail last night as he led the 12,000 crowd in chants of 'free Palestine', shouted 'free the six counties' and sang the band's hit CEARTA. The rapper – who performs under the stage name Móglái Bap – appeared during the 'Let the People Sing' night on Sunday as he collaborated on stage with the Irish Brigade band.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
What is the Kneecap controversy? Pro-Palestine Band charged with terror offences
Kneecap, an Irish Band, hailed as cultural disruptors by supporters and branded dangerous extremists by critics, has been thrust into the global spotlight after one of its members was charged with a terror offence in the United Kingdom. Liam Og O hAnnaidh, known on stage as Mo Chara, faces charges related to allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag during a performance in London. This legal development follows a series of controversies involving the band's outspoken support for the Palestinian cause, provocative performances, and incendiary lyrics that have drawn fierce political and media backlash. The trio's actions have prompted investigations, concert cancellations, and calls for bans, all while igniting intense debates about the limits of artistic freedom, political expression, and national security. What is Kneecap? Formed in 2017, Kneecap is a politically charged rap trio from west Belfast, composed of Mo Chara (Liam Og O hAnnaidh), Moglai Bap (Naoise O Caireallain), and DJ Provai (JJ O Dochartaigh). Known for their fusion of Irish and English lyrics, the group embraces themes of resistance, identity, and satire, often courting controversy through provocative imagery and performances. All three members are fluent Irish speakers, and their music is seen as both a celebration and a defence of the Irish language. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 180k traders turn to IC Markets for optimum CFD trading conditions | Sign up today IC Markets Sign Up Undo Their debut single, 'CEARTA,' released during a campaign for Irish language rights in Northern Ireland, set the tone for their defiant public persona. How the Kneecap controversy started? The controversy escalated when London's Metropolitan Police confirmed that Mo Chara had been charged with a terror offence under UK law. The charge stems from a performance on 21 November 2024, during which video footage appeared to show him displaying a Hezbollah flag and shouting slogans allegedly in support of proscribed terrorist groups. Both Hezbollah and Hamas are designated terrorist organisations in the UK, and it is illegal to publicly express support for them. Mo Chara is due to appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court on 18 June. The UK's Counter Terrorism Command was reportedly alerted to the video in April 2025, leading to the charge after consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service. Terror charge and legal proceedings On 21 May 2025, UK authorities officially charged Mo Chara (under the legal name Liam O'Hanna) with a terror offence. The charge relates to the alleged display of a Hezbollah flag during a concert at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town in November 2023. The Crown Prosecution Service authorised the charge following an investigation prompted by an online video. Mo Chara is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 18 June. Political activism and support for Palestine Kneecap's strong pro-Palestinian stance has become a focal point of international attention. During their set at the Coachella festival in April 2025, the band displayed on-screen messages condemning Israel for genocide and accusing the United States of enabling war crimes. One message read: 'F*** Israel. Free Palestine.' These statements triggered significant backlash from US commentators, including Sharon Osbourne, who called for their US work visas to be revoked and likened the group to a 'Hamas fan club. ' The band's manager later revealed they had received serious death threats as a result of their comments. Rise to global fame through film Kneecap's influence expanded rapidly following the release of their semi-fictionalised film in 2024, which starred Oscar-nominated actor Michael Fassbender. The film was both a critical and commercial success, earning six BAFTA nominations and winning for Outstanding Debut. It also secured four awards from the Irish Film and Television Academy, including Best Director for Rich Peppiatt. The film depicted the band's origins, blending humour, music, and social commentary, and was praised by international outlets like The Independent, which called it 'a sweary, crude, and brilliantly political Irish comedy. ' Controversial performances and symbolism Throughout their career, Kneecap has attracted criticism for what some view as the glamorisation of drug use and militant Irish republicanism. They have worn balaclavas in the colours of the Irish flag during performances and sparked outrage by commissioning a mural in Belfast of a burning police Land Rover, seen by opponents as glorifying terrorism. Their lyrics and public appearances frequently contain anti-British sentiment, including a song titled 'Get Your Brits Out' and chants calling for British withdrawal from Northern Ireland. Footage and investigations Following Coachella, old videos resurfaced of Kneecap performances in London, allegedly showing Mo Chara displaying a Hezbollah flag and shouting slogans such as 'Up Hamas, up Hezbollah.' Another clip included the statement: 'The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.' These incidents led to a criminal investigation by London's Metropolitan Police, involving counter-terrorism officers. As both Hamas and Hezbollah are proscribed as terrorist organisations in the UK, expressions of support for them are criminal offences. Public apology and Band response Amid growing backlash, Kneecap issued an apology to the families of murdered British MPs Jo Cox and David Amess, stating they never intended to incite violence and expressed regret for any pain caused. The group reaffirmed their message of 'love, inclusion, and hope' and rejected claims of promoting terrorism. They also alleged they were the target of a 'coordinated smear campaign,' particularly from the United States, and announced plans to pursue legal action against what they described as malicious misinformation. Cancelled shows and political reaction As the controversy intensified, several of Kneecap's scheduled concerts in the UK and Germany were cancelled. The British government urged Glastonbury organisers to reconsider the band's participation in the upcoming festival. Politicians, including UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, called for Kneecap to be banned entirely from performing. In contrast, a group of artists including Pulp, Annie Mac, Massive Attack, Paul Weller, and Primal Scream signed an open letter in support of the band's right to political expression. The Kneecap controversy has become a flashpoint in debates over free speech, artistic freedom, and the boundaries of political activism in music. While their supporters view the band as fearless truth-tellers and cultural revolutionaries, critics argue that their methods flirt with extremism and incite division. As legal proceedings continue, the world will be watching to see how the justice system, the music industry, and public discourse respond to a band that has consistently refused to play by the rules.
Sky News
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Why are Kneecap controversial?
Irish band Kneecap have had a meteoric rise in the music industry, with tens of millions of streams on Spotify alone and widespread critical acclaim. The trio's genre-bending rap/hip hop tracks, performed in a mixture of English and Irish-language, have clearly resonated with a mainstream audience, but their many controversial moments - some of them seemingly intentional - have helped them hit such heights. Here's what you need to know about the band and their most notorious moments. Who's in the band? The group is made up of three friends from Belfast: Mo Chara (Liam Og O Hannaidh), Moglai Bap (Naoise O Caireallain) and DJ Provai (JJ O Dochartaigh). The latter is a former teacher who still wears a balaclava, initially to disguise himself from his students when the band started out in 2017. They were controversial from the get-go - and seemingly by design. Their debut track - CEARTA - is based on how band member Bap was stopped by police for spray-painting cearta, the Irish word for rights, on a bus stop. Before fame, Bap and Chara, who have known each other for around 15 years, transformed a former youth club into party hub, where they would play their favourite tracks. And it was through this venture into the club space that they later met DJ Provai. The group called themselves Kneecap in reference to kneecapping, a common form of paramilitary punishment in Northern Ireland during The Troubles which sees someone shot or hit repeatedly on both knees. From cult heroes to mainstream success Kneecap released their first mixtape, 3cag, in 2018 to critical acclaim, and their 2019 single HOOD is their most streamed single to date. But their success reached new levels in 2024 with the release of their 18-track album, Fine Art, which culminated in a headline-worthy crowd attending their early-morning timeslot at Glastonbury. The band then ventured into the film industry with a self-titled biopic about their rise to prominence, set in post-Troubles Belfast, starring themselves alongside Irish actor Michael Fassbender. Before its full release last summer, it had been the talk of various film festivals, including Tribeca in New York. Speaking to Sky News at Glastonbury last year, the band said the reaction had been "crazy". Since then it's got crazier, with the film getting six BAFTA nominations and earning its writer and director Rich Peppiatt a win for Outstanding Debut. The band cracked the UK and are now following suit in the US, having sold out several shows there. Court battle with the UK government It would take a long time to cover all of Kneecap's controversial moments; much of it is a part of their music itself. They have been banned from Irish public service broadcaster RTE for their references to drug-taking. But there have been some particularly high-profile incidents since 2024. The first was their legal battle with the then-Conservative UK government, who blocked a grant for the band which was initially approved by the British Phonographic Industry. The group's application to the Music Export Growth Scheme, which supports UK-registered artists in global markets, was for £14,250, but Kemi Badenoch, then business secretary, stopped it. At the time, a government spokesperson said it fully supported freedom of speech, but that it was "hardly surprising" it did not want to hand out UK taxpayers' money to those opposed to the United Kingdom. One of their most famous tracks had been 2019's Get Your Brits Out, which had been criticised for being anti-British. The trio have always denied this being the case. Chara told Sky News after their Glastonbury set: "This is a thing that people love to spin, like we're some anti-British band. "We have English family. We have loads of good friends who call themselves British. It's the British government we don't like." Kneecap won a discrimination case against the UK government in November, earning them the same amount that the grant was worth. DJ Provai said the band's motivation was "equality". "For us, this action was never about £14,250; it could have been 50p," he said, after the band said it would donate the funds to two Belfast charities. "This was an attack on artistic culture, an attack on the Good Friday Agreement itself and an attack on Kneecap and our way of expressing ourselves." Calling for deaths of Conservative MPs Police say they are assessing a video of a Kneecap performance from November 2023, in which a member of the trio allegedly called for the death of Conservative MPs. The member is alleged to have said: "The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP." Two British MPs have been murdered in the past 10 years - Labour's Jo Cox in 2016 and Conservative Sir David Amess in 2021. 6:31 In a statement, Kneecap said they rejected "any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual. Ever." They added: "An extract of footage, deliberately taken out of all context, is now being exploited and weaponised, as if it were a call to action. "To the Amess and Cox families, we send our heartfelt apologies, we never intended to cause you hurt." Pro-Palestinian messages at gigs The investigation into the MP comments was announced several days after the Met said it had referred a different video from a Kneecap gig to be reviewed by counter-terror police. Footage from that gig, at London's Kentish Town Forum last November, appeared to show one member of the group shouting "up Hamas, up Hezbollah". Hamas and Hezbollah are both proscribed as terrorist groups in the UK. Under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000, it is an offence to express "an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation". The police say they are "assessing" both clips to "determine whether further police investigation is required". Kneecap have said they are facing a "co-ordinated smear campaign" after speaking out about "the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people". In their statement, they said: "Let us be unequivocal: we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah. We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never okay. We know this more than anyone, given our nation's history. "Kneecap's message has always been - and remains - one of love, inclusion, and hope. This is why our music resonates across generations, countries, classes and cultures and has brought hundreds of thousands of people to our gigs." Investigation comes after Coachella fallout Just days before the police investigations were announced, TV personality Sharon Osbourne called for Kneecap's US work visas to be revoked after accusing them of making "aggressive political statements" including "projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech" at Coachella Music and Arts Festival. As the band performed on the second night, they displayed words on the big screen reading: "Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. "It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes. F*** Israel. Free Palestine". Israel's ongoing offensive in Gaza, which came after Hamas gunmen launched an attack killing 1,200 people in Israel on 7 October 2023, has seen at least 52,000 people killed, according to the Gaza health ministry. Speaking to Rolling Stone after Osbourne's comments, Kneecap member Mo Chara said: "Her rant has so many holes in it that it hardly warrants a reply, but she should listen to War Pigs that was written by Black Sabbath [led by Ozzy Osbourne, her husband]." He also told the outlet: "We believe we have an obligation to use our platform when we can to raise the issue of Palestine, and it was important for us to speak out at Coachella as the USA is the main funder and supplier of weapons to Israel as they commit genocide in Gaza." Kneecap has been continually outspoken in favour of Palestinians at gigs. In November, DJ Provai arrived for the court verdict against the UK government in a vehicle bearing the Irish and Palestinian flags and blaring loud music.
