Latest news with #O'Hanna
Express Tribune
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Kneecap supports Palestine at Glastonbury as crowd chants against IDF and UK political pressure mounts
Irish rap group Kneecap gave a powerful and politically charged performance at the Glastonbury Festival on Saturday, using their set to express unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people, despite growing political pressure and attempts at censorship. Their appearance followed recent legal scrutiny of member Liam O'Hanna, known as Mo Chara, who was charged earlier this month over a video in which he appeared with a Hezbollah flag during a London concert. O'Hanna has denied the allegations, telling The Guardian the video was taken out of context and was part of a satirical performance. 'Why should I regret it? It was a joke — we're playing characters,' he said. Wearing a keffiyeh, O'Hanna told the Glastonbury crowd their own legal and political struggles pale in comparison to the daily suffering of Palestinians living under occupation. 'This situation can be quite stressful, but it's minimal compared to what the Palestinian people are facing,' he said to cheers and raised flags from the crowd. Earlier in the evening, punk-rap duo Bob Vylan led a segment of the audience in chanting 'Death, death to the IDF,' a direct protest against the Israeli military's actions in Gaza and the West Bank. The chant, though controversial, was framed by supporters as a rejection of state violence and a cry of solidarity with victims of ongoing military operations. The BBC editor is gonna have some job 👏😂🇵🇸 'The stress that we are feeling is minimal compared to what the Palestinian people are going through every fucking day' 🇵🇸💚 #Kneecap #Glastonbury2025 — Jackie 🍀 (@Jackie7681) June 28, 2025 Kneecap also expressed support for Palestine Action, an activist group recently banned by the UK government under terrorism legislation. DJ Provai wore a shirt referencing the group, whose direct action campaigns have targeted institutions linked to arms sales to Israel. The BBC really thought they had it all covered by not live streaming Kneecaps set 😂 Then comes along Bob Vylan 🎤 #Glastonbury2025 — The Rock Revival (@TheRockRevival_) June 28, 2025 Despite calls from Prime Minister Keir Starmer to cancel their set, Glastonbury organizers stood firm. Co-founder Michael Eavis said, 'People that don't like the politics of the event can go somewhere else.' The BBC declined to air the performance live but indicated it may be available on-demand — a decision that reflects the ongoing debate about artistic expression and political protest in mainstream media.
New Straits Times
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
Irish rappers Kneecap ignite Glastonbury with anti-Israel, anti-Starmer chants
GLASTONBURY, United Kingdom: Irish rap trio Kneecap took aim at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a defiant performance Saturday at Britain's Glastonbury festival, which also saw Britpop legends Pulp wow fans with a surprise show. Kneecap has made headlines in recent months with their pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel stance. One of their members has been charged with a "terror" offence for allegedly supporting Hizbollah, leading Starmer and other politicians to call for them to be dropped from the line up. In front of thousands of fans, many waving Palestinian flags, Kneecap led the crowd in chanting abuse about Starmer. "Glastonbury, I'm a free man", said member Liam O'Hanna, who appeared in court earlier this month accused of having displayed a Hizbollah flag while saying "Up Hamas, Up Hizbollah" after a video resurfaced of a London concert last year. The Iran-backed Lebanese force Hizbollah and the Palestinian group Hamas are banned in the UK, and it is an offence to express support for them. O'Hanna, known by his stage name Mo Chara, has denied the charge. "This situation can be quite stressful but it's minimal compared to what the Palestinian people are (facing)," said O'Hanna, wearing his trademark keffiyah. O'Hanna also gave "a shout out" to Palestine Action Group, which interior minister Yvette Cooper announced last week would become a banned group under the Terrorism Act of 2000. Fellow band member DJ Provai wore a t-shirt dedicated to the campaign group, whose prohibition comes after its activists broke into a British Royal Air Force base and vandalised two planes. Before Kneecap took to the stage, rap punk duo Bob Vylan led the crowd in chants of "Death, death to the IDF", a reference to the Israeli Defence Forces. Israel's embassy to the UK said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric" in a post on X following the event. "It raises serious concerns about the normalisation of extremist language and the glorification of violence," it said, calling for festival organisers, artists and UK officials to denounce the remark. Local police said they were assessing videos of comments made by both groups to decide whether any offences may have been committed, UK media reported. Formed in 2017, Kneecap is no stranger to controversy. To their fans they are daring provocateurs who stand up to the establishment; to their detractors they are dangerous extremists. Their Irish and English lyrics are filled with references to drugs, they repeatedly clashed with the UK's previous Conservative government and have vocally opposed British rule in Northern Ireland. The group apologised this year after a 2023 video emerged appearing to show one singer calling for the death of British Conservative MPs. Two MPs have been murdered in Britain in the past nine years and many of them worry about their safety. But Kneecap deny the terrorism charge and say the video featuring the Hizbollah flag has been taken out of context. Asked whether he regretted waving it, and other comments caught on camera, Chara told the Guardian in an interview published Friday: "Why should I regret it? It was a joke – we're playing characters." Chris Jeffries, a 32-year-old analyst at a bank, told AFP that Kneecap's performance at Glastonbury made him proud to be a fan. "They're one of the only bands here that are actually preaching about Palestine," said Jeffries, wearing an Irish tricolour balaclava. Since O'Hanna was charged, the group has been pulled from a slew of summer gigs, including a Scottish festival appearance and various performances in Germany. But Glastonbury organisers defied Starmer who had said it was not "appropriate" for Kneecap to perform at Glastonbury, one of the country's biggest and most famous music festivals. "People that don't like the politics of the event can go somewhere else," Michael Eavis, co-founder of the festival said in an article published in a free newspaper for festival-goers. Public broadcaster the BBC faced pressure not to air the concert. In a statement Saturday, a spokesperson for the broadcaster said the performance would not be shown live but would likely be available on-demand afterwards. Pulp, led by Jarvis Cocker, had fans bouncing to '90s anthem "Common People" after being listed on the lineup as "Patchwork." "Sorry to the people who were expecting Patchwork," the frontman joked. Headline acts at the festival which finishes Sunday include Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo, with other highlights including Charli XCX and Rod Stewart.--AFP
Business Recorder
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Recorder
Irish rappers Kneecap perform controversial Glastonbury set
GLASTONBURY: Irish rap trio Kneecap took aim at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a defiant performance Saturday at Britain's Glastonbury festival, which also saw Britpop legends Pulp wow fans with a surprise show. Kneecap has made headlines in recent months with their pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel stance. One of their members has been charged with a 'terror' offence for allegedly supporting Hezbollah, leading Starmer and other politicians to call for them to be dropped from the line up. In front of thousands of fans, many waving Palestinian flags, Kneecap led the crowd in chanting abuse about Starmer. 'Glastonbury, I'm a free man', said member Liam O'Hanna, who appeared in court earlier this month accused of having displayed a Hezbollah flag while saying 'Up Hamas, Up Hezbollah' after a video resurfaced of a London concert last year. The Iran-backed Lebanese force Hezbollah and the Palestinian militant group Hamas are banned in the UK, and it is an offence to express support for them. O'Hanna, known by his stage name Mo Chara, has denied the charge. 'This situation can be quite stressful but it's minimal compared to what the Palestinian people are (facing),' said O'Hanna, wearing his trademark keffiyah. O'Hanna also gave 'a shout out' to Palestine Action Group, which interior minister Yvette Cooper announced last week would become a banned group under the Terrorism Act of 2000. Fellow band member DJ Provai wore a t-shirt dedicated to the campaign group, whose prohibition comes after its activists broke into a British Royal Air Force base and vandalised two planes. 'Playing characters' Before Kneecap took to the stage, rap punk duo Bob Vylan led the crowd in chants of 'Death, death to the IDF', a reference to the Israeli Defence Forces. Israel's embassy to the UK said it was 'deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric' in a post on X following the event. 'It raises serious concerns about the normalisation of extremist language and the glorification of violence,' it said, calling for festival organisers, artists and UK officials to denounce the remark. 'Kaanta Lagaa girl': Indian actress Shefali Jariwala passes away at 42 Local police said they were assessing videos of comments made by both groups to decide whether any offences may have been committed, UK media reported. Formed in 2017, Kneecap is no stranger to controversy. To their fans they are daring provocateurs who stand up to the establishment; to their detractors they are dangerous extremists. Their Irish and English lyrics are filled with references to drugs, they repeatedly clashed with the UK's previous Conservative government and have vocally opposed British rule in Northern Ireland. The group apologised this year after a 2023 video emerged appearing to show one singer calling for the death of British Conservative MPs. Two MPs have been murdered in Britain in the past nine years and many of them worry about their safety. But Kneecap deny the terrorism charge and say the video featuring the Hezbollah flag has been taken out of context. Asked whether he regretted waving it, and other comments caught on camera, Chara told the Guardian in an interview published Friday: 'Why should I regret it? It was a joke – we're playing characters.' 'They're one of the only bands here that are actually preaching about Palestine,' said Jeffries, wearing an Irish tricolour balaclava. Glastonbury rejects criticism Since O'Hanna was charged, the group has been pulled from a slew of summer gigs, including a Scottish festival appearance and various performances in Germany. But Glastonbury organisers defied Starmer who had said it was not 'appropriate' for Kneecap to perform at Glastonbury, one of the country's biggest and most famous music festivals. 'People that don't like the politics of the event can go somewhere else,' Michael Eavis, co-founder of the festival said in an article published in a free newspaper for festival-goers. Public broadcaster the BBC faced pressure not to air the concert. In a statement Saturday, a spokesperson for the broadcaster said the performance would not be shown live but would likely be available on-demand afterwards. Pulp, led by Jarvis Cocker, had fans bouncing to '90s anthem 'Common People' after being listed on the lineup as 'Patchwork'. 'Sorry to the people who were expecting Patchwork,' the frontman joked. Headline acts at the festival which finishes Sunday include Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo, with other highlights including Charli XCX and Rod Stewart.
Kuwait Times
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Kuwait Times
Kneecap perform at Glastonbury despite ban calls
GLASTONBURY: Irish rap trio Kneecap staged a defiant performance at Britain's Glastonbury Festival Saturday, days after Prime Minister Keir Starmer said they should not be performing there. The group has made headlines in recent months with their pro-Palestinian and anti-Zionist stance, and one of their members has been charged with a 'terror' offence for allegedly supporting Hezbollah. 'Glastonbury, I'm a free man', said Liam O'Hanna, who appeared in court earlier this month accused of having displayed a Hezbollah flag while saying 'Up Hamas, Up Hezbollah' at a London concert last year. The Lebanese force Hezbollah and the Palestinian group Hamas are banned in the UK, and it is an offence to express support for them. O'Hanna, known by his stage name Mo Chara, has denied the charge. 'This situation can be quite stressful but it's minimal compared to what the Palestinian people are (facing),' O'Hanna, wearing his trademark keffiyeh and black sunglasses told thousands of cheering supporters, many waving Palestinian flags. O'Hanna also gave 'a shout out' to Palestine Action Group, which interior minister Yvette Cooper announced last week would become a banned group under the Terrorism Act of 2000. Fellow band member DJ Provai wore a t-shirt dedicated to the campaign group, whose prohibition comes after its activists broke into a British Royal Air Force base and vandalized two planes. Before Kneecap took to the stage, rap punk duo Bob Vylan led the crowd in chants of 'Death, death to the IDF', a reference to the Zionist army. Later, Kneecap led the crowd chanting abuse directed at Starmer. Formed in 2017, Kneecap is no stranger to controversy. To their fans they are daring provocateurs who stand up to the establishment; to their detractors they are dangerous extremists. Their Irish and English lyrics are filled with references to drugs, they repeatedly clashed with the UK's previous Conservative government and have vocally opposed British rule in Northern Ireland. The group apologized this year after a 2023 video emerged appearing to show one singer calling for the death of British Conservative MPs. Two MPs have been murdered in Britain in the past nine years and many of them worry about their safety. But Kneecap deny the terrorism charge and say the video featuring the Hezbollah flag has been taken out of context. Asked whether he regretted waving it, and other comments caught on camera, Chara told the Guardian in an interview published Friday: 'Why should I regret it? It was a joke — we're playing characters.' Since O'Hanna was charged, the group has been pulled from a slew of summer gigs, including a Scottish festival appearance and various performances in Germany. But Glastonbury organizers defied Starmer who had said it was not 'appropriate' for Kneecap to perform at Glastonbury, one of the country's biggest and most famous music festivals. 'People that don't like the politics of the event can go somewhere else,' Michael Eavis, co-founder of the festival said in an article published in a free newspaper for festivalgoers. Public broadcaster the BBC faced pressure not to air the concert. In statement Saturday, a spokesperson for the broadcaster said the performance would not be shown live but would likely be available on demand afterwards. Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch had said the BBC should not show Kneecap, and 30 music industry bosses asked organizers to pull the band from the line-up, according to a letter leaked by DJ Toddla T, cited by the Guardian newspaper. In response, more than 100 musicians have signed a public letter in support of the group. – Agencies
Japan Today
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap play Glastonbury despite calls for ban
FILE PHOTO: Irish rap group Kneecap perform on stage at the Fairview Park music festival, in Dublin, Ireland, June 19, 2025. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/File Photo By Paul Sandle and Kristian Brunse Irish hip-hop group Kneecap played to a huge crowd at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday despite criticism by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and pressure from some in the music industry to pull the gig. Frontman Liam O'Hanna, whose stage name is Mo Chara, was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November. He denied the charge. Starmer told the Sun newspaper this month it was "not appropriate" for Kneecap, who rap in Irish and English, to appear at Glastonbury. With the outdoor arena at full capacity and scores of Palestinian flags waving in the blazing sun, the Northern Irish trio took to the West Holts stage at the festival in southwest England on Saturday. Festival-goer Greg Robertson, 30, said: "I don't think politicians should really have too much of an impact on a weekend where everyone's trying to have fun and trying to maybe create a more optimistic future." Sara Majid, 29, said she liked what Kneecap stood for. "I'm intrigued by them," she said. Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch had said the BBC, which broadcasts the festival, should not show Kneecap, and 30 music industry bosses asked organisers to pull the band from the line-up, according to a letter leaked by DJ Toddla T, cited by the Guardian newspaper. In response, more than 100 musicians have signed a public letter in support of the group. Kneecap's manager, Dan Lambert, said the group had expected calls for the performance to be cancelled. "We knew that the biggest pressure would come on Glastonbury because Glastonbury's an institution," he told Reuters, adding that it had not been an issue for organisers. "We didn't bring it up and they didn't bring it up," he said. "They treated us professionally." Organiser Emily Eavis said on Wednesday the festival was a platform for artists from all over the world, adding that "everyone is welcome here". The footage of O'Hanna displaying the flag came to light after the trio projected pro-Palestinian messages on stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California in April, ending with: "F... Israel. Free Palestine." Kneecap, whose other members have the stage names Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí, have said they do not support Hamas or Hezbollah. O'Hanna said on Friday the group were "playing characters" on stage, and it was up to the audience to interpret their messages. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
