BELFAST, April 26 — Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap said they are facing a “coordinated smear campaign” following their statements at the Coachella music festival condemning what they described as the ongoing genocide against Palestinians.
In a statement released today, Kneecap said the attacks against them, mainly originating from the United States, were based on “deliberate distortions and falsehoods”, and that they were taking action against several of these efforts.
“For over a year, we have used our shows to call out the British and Irish governments’ complicity in war crimes,” the group said on X.
“The reason Kneecap is being targeted is simple — we are telling the truth, and our audience is growing,” said the group, made of rappers Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí.
Kneecap accused their critics of trying to “silence criticism of a mass slaughter” by weaponising “false accusations of antisemitism to distract, confuse, and provide cover for genocide”.
The group emphasised that their concern was not with religion but with governments enabling war crimes, stating, “We do not give a f*ck what religion anyone practices.”
They also highlighted solidarity from Jewish communities, saying “there are massive numbers of Jewish people outraged by this genocide just as we are.”
“No media spin will change this. Our only concern is the Palestinian people — the 20,000 murdered children and counting,” they said.
The group also praised the young people attending their performances, saying they could “see through the lies” and were standing “on the side of humanity and justice.”
Kneecap is known for rapping in both Irish and English — blending satire with socially conscious, politically charged lyrics that address post-Troubles life, class inequality, and Irish republican theme.
In the first weekend of their Coachella show, the live stream of their set was cut after expressing support for Palestine and criticising Margaret Thatcher. During the second weekend, they projected slogans such as “F**k Israel, Free Palestine” and “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people” during their performance.
They were criticised, among others, by music manager Sharon Osbourne — Sharon Osbourne, who has Ashkenazi Jewish heritage. Osbourne had called for Kneecap’s working visa to be revoked for allegedly “compromising” the festival’s “moral and spiritual integrity”.
