Kneecap‘s defiant headline set at Wide Awake – which came only days after Mo Chara was charged with a terror offence – saw them speak out about the ongoing conflict in Gaza and being silenced ahead of Glastonbury.
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Earlier this week, Mo Chara was charged by the Metropolitan Police for allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah at a gig last year. The band have denied supporting either Hamas or Hezbollah, and stated that they would not incite or condone violence against any individuals. They have also argued that the footage of the moment had been taken out of context.
The Belfast hip-hop trio had previously called the legal action against 27-year-old musician (real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh) a “carnival of distraction”, and have maintained it was “political policing” and that they were not the story, rather, “Genocide is”.
Those comments were echoed at last night’s (May 23) Brockwell Park gig, where Chara took to the stage alongside Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí to say the charge was designed to “silence” them ahead of their performance at Glastonbury this summer.
“I went for an interview with the counter-terror police and within days they came to a verdict that they were going to charge me,” he said at the south London event. “Never has it been that quick.
London knows 👏🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/U0PzC2DDtB
— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) May 23, 2025
“And the reason it was that quick was because Glastonbury is just around the corner. They’re trying to silence us from speaking onstage at Glastonbury the way we did at Coachella. Fuck them.”
Kneecap’s statements in support of Palestine at Coachella 2025 saw them project slogans including “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people” behind them on stage, in a move that supposedly “blindsided” festival organisers. Following that, counter-terror police began to assess footage from a London performance last November, resulting in the recent charge.
“Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí from Belfast and Derry are not the story,” the rapper continued. “We are being made an example of. The Israeli lobbyists are trying to prove to other artists that if you speak out, we’re gonna hit you where it hurts most. They’re trying to cancel gigs and they’re trying to cancel my freedom of travel.”
It comes as the UN said on Friday that Gaza was in the “cruellest phase” of war, with 9,000 trucks’ worth of aid ready at the border for the Palestinian territory. It has been reported that Kneecap have have donated their fee from the show to Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders).
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, at least 53,822 people have now been killed since Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas’s cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
GRMA London.
We stand proudly with the people. 🇵🇸❤️
📸 Graham MacIndoe pic.twitter.com/tiX2UmLc3i
— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) May 23, 2025
Yesterday saw multiple speeches addressing the humanitarian crisis, including one by Jeremy Corbyn ahead of Nadine Shah‘s set. English Teacher also spoken out on the issue during their main stage set, with frontwoman Lily Fontaine telling the crowd that they were “proud to share the stage with people who stand up against oppression,” adding: “We have to defend each other, and we have to listen to each other. Free Palestine”
Fellow headliner Peaches also addressed the issue. “I am a progressive Jew,” she said. “There is no mistake about it: it is a genocide. Free Palestine,” adding: “No one is free until we all are free.”
In a statement that was met with roars of “Free Palestine” by the crowd at Kneecap’s set, Mo Chara said: “The fact that I’m speaking to this amount of people, and I assume the majority of people agree, shows that we’re on the right side of history.”
The band also nodded to his upcoming appearance at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in June, joking onstage: “If anybody’s about on June 18 … we’re all going to gather outside the Westminster court to show support.”
Another member chimed in: “Anybody who’s free on June 18 – get a big bag of ket and we’ll go on the steps of Westminster.”
The band later thanked fans for their vocal support on Instagram, after warning them at the show things nearly didn’t go ahead. “They tried to stop this gig,” one member can be heard telling fans on stage. “Honestly, lads, you have no idea how close we were to being pulled off this gig.”
The ensuing controversy has seen numerous live shows and festival appearances cancelled, as well as the band being dropped by their booking agent. They also faced extensive criticism from Sharon Osbourne, who branded them as “pathetic” and urged for their US visas to be revoked.
Despite the backlash, over 100 artists – including Pulp, Fontaines D.C., IDLES, Massive Attack, Paul Weller, Primal Scream, Enter Shikari, English Teacher, The Pogues, Lankum, Toddla T, Sleaford Mods and Thin Lizzy – all came together to sign an open letter, supporting the right to freedom of expression for musicians.
Massive Attack have also been vocal in their backing for Kneecap too, issuing a statement urging that the focus to remain on what they call a “genocide” against the Palestinian people, rather than debating about the band.
At time of writing, the band’s appearances at Glastonbury, TRNSMT and other European festivals remain intact. Their huge Belfast show with Fontaines D.C. recently sold out in just over half an hour, despite calls from the DUP to have it axed.
We stand with Kneecap
Fuck Israel
Free Palestine 🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/8CadyY6lNl
— Sarah (@Sal_feeko) May 21, 2025
Back in April, the band took to X/Twitter to clarify that they condemned “all attacks on civilians, always. It is never okay. We know this more than anyone, given our nation’s history.
“We also reject any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual. Ever,” they continued, following news police were assessing a second video from one of their gigs, which purportedly showed the group calling for the death of Conservative MPs.
“An extract of footage, deliberately taken out of all context, is now being exploited and weaponised, as if it were a call to action.”
The same day as their Wide Awake performance, the trio shared the “bootleg version” of their new track ‘The Recap’, writing: “This one’s for Kemi Badenoch,” on Instagram Stories.
Badenoch, the current leader of the Conservative Party, recently shared the footage from Kneecap’s show in London last year, and that “now Labour see Kneecap openly glorifying evil terror groups, they will apologise for rolling over. But I doubt it.”
In their NME The Cover story in June 2024, he had touched on being anti-violence, saying: “Obviously I can’t speak for what happened before me,” sharing his sympathy for what past generations of Irishmen went through. “But we don’t support violence as that doesn’t make any sense any more.”
The blistering new track begins with a “breaking news” bulletin about counter terrorism police investigating the band, and the group later team-up with drum and bass artist Mozey and rap about Badenoch’s attempt at “fooling everybody“.
The band gave ‘The Recap’ its live debut during a tiny, last-minute gig at the 100 Club in London on Friday (May 22). Mo Chara appeared at the show with tape over his mouth – a further response to being charged with a terror offence.
