Irish Rap group Kneecap to Perform Near Paris Despite Controversy
Irish rap group Kneecap is scheduled to perform at the Rock en Seine festival outside Paris on Sunday, despite objections from French Jewish groups and government officials. One member of the group, Liam O’Hanna, also known as Mo Chara, faces a terror charge in the UK related to allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag during a London concert in November.Local authorities have withdrawn subsidies from the festival following the organizers’ decision to keep Kneecap on the lineup, set to perform at 1630 GMT. The Rock en Seine festival is held annually in Saint-cloud, a suburb of Paris.
Kneecap, originating from Northern Ireland, is known for its strong support of the Palestinian cause and criticism of Israel, often incorporating political messaging into their performances.
O’Hanna, 27, was charged in England in may. During a performance at the Glastonbury Festival in June, Chara stated, “Israel are war criminals.” The group was later barred from entering Hungary and missed a scheduled performance at the Sziget Festival in Budapest, a country closely allied with Israel.
Kneecap, whose name references the practice of “kneecapping” – the deliberate shooting of limbs as punishment attacks during the decades of unrest in Northern Ireland – also addresses Irish republicanism in their music, remaining a controversial act in both the UK and Ireland decades after the peace agreement aimed at resolving the conflict over Northern Ireland’s status.
Matthieu Ducos,director of Rock en Seine,stated,”We are confident that the group will perform in the correct manner” ahead of the festival.
The municipality of saint-Cloud has withdrawn its 40,000-euro ($47,000) subsidy from Rock en Seine for the first time. The Ile-de-France region, encompassing Paris, has also cancelled its funding for the 2025 edition. Despite these funding cuts, the festival’s overall budget of 16-17 million euros remains secure.
Kneecap has previously performed twice in France this summer,at the Eurockéennes festival in Belfort and the Cabaret Vert in Charleville-Mezieres,without incident.
However, the upcoming concert takes place amid heightened concerns regarding alleged antisemitism in France following the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel and the subsequent Israeli military response in the Gaza Strip.
Yonathan Arfi, president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF), called for the concert’s cancellation, stating, “They are desecrating the memory of the 50 French victims of Hamas on October 7, and also all the French victims of Hezbollah.”
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau indicated that vigilance would be maintained against “any comments of an antisemitic nature, apology for terrorism or incitement to hatred” during the event.
