While one of the members of the North Irish trio is prosecuted by British justice for “Terrorist offense” After having covered himself, during a concert in London in 2024, of a hezbollah flag, the group must perform this Sunday evening at the Parisian festival.
The North Irish trio Kneecap, one of the members of which is continued by British justice for Hezbollah, is to give a concert under close surveillance on Sunday at the Rock en Seine festival, which claims its freedom of programming. This concert, approximately one hour, must start around 6.30pm but the organizers of the French event had not imagined by inviting this Belfast group several months ago that its presence was going to create the controversy. Because, by making each show a platform for the Palestinian cause against the backdrop of war in the Gaza Strip, the Gaelic artists, who oscillate between punk and rap, have robbed the light of the spotlight and the authorities.
One of the three members of Kneecap, Liam O’hanna dit Mo Chara, is prosecuted for “Terrorist offense” After having covered, during a concert in London in 2024, of a Hezbollah flag. This pro-Iranian Lebanese Islamist movement, a sworn enemy of Israel, is classified terrorist in the United Kingdom. Supported by hundreds of supporters, Mo Chara appeared on Wednesday in the British capital and then left, the decision being adjourned on September 26.
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These judicial adventures do not prevent Kneecap from continuing his closed window tour, as in Glastonbury at the end of June, where he had accused Israel of being a state “War criminal”. On the other hand, it was deprived of the Sziget festival in Budapest, after a ban on entry into the territory rendered by the Hungarian government, close to Israel.
Removed subsidies
“We have the assurance that the group will be held completely correctly”had assured AFP Matthieu Ducos, director of Rock en Seine, a few days before the opening of the festival located in Saint-Cloud, near Paris. “It is a group which remains relatively confidential in France but which has gained a lot in notoriety in recent times, for very good artistic reasons, but also all this controversy which made it gained enormously in visibility and fans”he added.
In this context, the city of Saint-Cloud withdrew its subsidy from 40,000 euros to Rock en Seine, a first. The Île-de-France region has also canceled its aid for the 2025 edition. The subsidy amounted to 295,000 euros in 2024, to which are added 150,000 euros in indirect aid through the purchase of tickets. The disengagement of these communities does not, however, involve the viability of the festival, whose budget is between 16 and 17 million euros this year.
Without incident in France
A France, Kneecap – “Kingdom” In English, reference to the practice of the paramilitary militias which drove in the knees of their victims during the North Irish conflict – has already occurred twice this summer. Their concerts at the Eurockéennes de Belfort in early July and the Green Cabaret in Charleville-Mézières in mid-August took place without incident.
However, voices rise to request their deprogramming in Saint-Cloud. “They desecrate the memory of the 50 French victims of Hamas on October 7 as of all the French victims of Hezbollah”said on X Thursday Yonathan Arfi, president of the representative council of Jewish institutions in France (CRIF). The Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, said that vigilance would be in line with “Any anti -Semitic, apology for terrorism or calling for hatred”.
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Rock en Seine is detained by the American giant of the Tours AEG and Combat, group of the French businessman Matthieu Pigasse, who sees in the presence of Kneecap an issue of “Freedom of creation and expression”. “We must not accept the principle of censorship because, otherwise, it is a wave that will surge on festivals and on the media”he said to the Billboard France musical media.