Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap have responded to criticism over their controversial Coachella efficiency, after Sharon Osbourne known as for them to have their U.S. working visas revoked.
The band met fierce criticism from a number of quarters, together with Osbourne and Fox Information, after their efficiency final Friday at Coachella’s Sonora stage included projections “fuck Israel” and “free Palestine” and different messages of protest in opposition to U.S. assist of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
After being approached for remark by BBC Information Northern Eire over the backlash, Kneecap, whose autobiographical film received a number of awards final yr, stated: “Statements aren’t aggressive, murdering 20,000 youngsters is although.”
The trio’s supervisor, Daniel Lambert, additionally instructed Irish radio that the band obtained reward for his or her actions, but additionally a variety of dying threats that had been “too extreme to get into.”
Their feedback got here after actuality TV star and spouse of rocker Ozzy Osbourne stated Kneecap shouldn’t have included “aggressive political statements” of their set, including: “Music’s major function is to unite folks. It shouldn’t be a venue for selling terrorist organisations or spreading hate.” She additionally demanded U.S. authorities revoke their working visas.
Earlier this week, the divisive set noticed Jewish group the Simon Wiesenthal Heart denounce the group, saying it was “outstanding that Kneecap used a music pageant to foment hate, precisely the form of gathering the place, on October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists brutally murdered, raped, burned and kidnapped harmless younger folks on the Nova Music Pageant in Israel.” On the similar time, it supplied them the prospect to go to its Roxbury Drive workplace to debate the impacts of their actions.
Because the conflict broke out after the Hamas-led terror assault on Israel 19 months in the past, greater than 51,300 folks have been killed in Gaza, in keeping with the Hamas-led well being ministry. Virtually 2,000 have died from Israeli navy actions since a ceasefire ended on March 18. Israel continues to demand the discharge of 59 hostages it says Hamas remains to be holding, round 24 of whom are nonetheless believed to be alive. Round 1,200 Israelis had been killed within the October 7 assaults. An Israeli blockade on humanitarian support in Gaza, which has been condemned by the UN, stays in place.
