• During their second Coachella performance on April 18, Kneecap led the crowd in chants of “free, free Palestine” and displayed bold messages on stage screens. (X)

Irish-language rap group Kneecap has defended their performance at Coachella, rejecting accusations of aggression following pro-Palestine statements made during their set. The Belfast-based trio, known for their outspoken activism, responded firmly after being criticized by US conservatives and television personality Sharon Osbourne.

During their second Coachella performance on April 18, Kneecap led the crowd with chants of “free, free Palestine” and displayed messages of solidarity on stage screens. These included: “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,” and “F*** Israel. Free Palestine.”

Irish band #Kneecap used their #Coachella performance to deliver a fiery political message against "Israel's" war on #Gaza.

On the stage, they accused "Israel" of committing genocide against the Palestinian people and called out the #US government for enabling war crimes by… pic.twitter.com/zsBPBzZk8X

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 21, 2025

“The Palestinians have nowhere to go. It’s their fing home and they’re bombing them from the skies. If you’re not calling it a genocide, what the f*** are you calling it?”

Mo chara speaking to thousands of Americans at coachella.

The young people of America don't support genocide, get out on the streets and show this to that cunt Trump. 🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/fExyAn7GA6

— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) April 19, 2025

Following the performance, Kneecap faced backlash from US mainstream media and political figures. Sharon Osbourne accused the group of promoting “aggressive political statements” and labeled their message as hate speech, threatening to revoke their US work visas. Fox News commentators went further, drawing offensive historical comparisons to Nazi Germany.

Kneecap responds: “Statements Aren’t Aggressive, War Crimes Are”

In response to the criticism, Kneecap maintained that their words were not aggressive, especially when compared to the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

“Statements aren’t aggressive, murdering 20,000 children is though,” the group told BBC News Northern Ireland.

The band’s manager, Daniel Lambert, revealed that Kneecap has received death threats since the performance, describing them as “too severe to get into.” Despite the threats, the group has also been receiving a wave of support from fans worldwide, which they have been sharing on social media.

Amongst the hundreds of violent Zionist threats there's thousands of these ❤️🇵🇸❤️ pic.twitter.com/a7KfgZzfNW

— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) April 22, 2025

In light of calls to revoke their visas, the US State Department stated it considers potential visa ineligibility based on public safety concerns or violations of immigration laws.

Kneecap, comprising Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara from Belfast and DJ Próvaí from Derry, has developed a strong following in the US through their music and political activism. Their popularity continues to rise, with the group announcing that their entire October tour in Canada and the US has sold out.

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