Kneecap to play Paris concert in defiance of objections

"Strongly backing the Palestinian cause and bitterly criticising Israel, the group from Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, have turned concerts into political events. Liam O'Hanna, 27, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was charged in England in May accused of displaying a flag of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah during a London concert in November. They played a closely scrutinised concert at the Glastonbury Festival in June, where Chara declared: "Israel are war criminals.""

"The local authorities have also withdrawn their subsidies for the music festival where the trio will play - the annual Rock en Seine festival, held in the Paris suburb of Saint-Cloud - after organisers kept the controversial band on the programme for their slot from 18:30 local time. The municipality of Saint-Cloud for the first time withdrew its 40,000 subsidy from Rock en Seine. The wider Ile-de-France region that includes Paris also cancelled its funding for the 2025 edition."

"Kneecap, who also focus on Irish republicanism, are controversial within the UK and Ireland, more than two-and-a-half-decades after the peace agreement that aimed to end the conflict over the status of Northern Ireland. The group takes its name from the deliberate shooting of the limbs, known as "kneecapping", carried out by Irish Republicans as punishment attacks during the decades of unrest."

Kneecap are scheduled to play at the Rock en Seine festival outside Paris despite objections from French Jewish groups and government officials. Local authorities withdrew subsidies after organisers kept the trio on the programme. The municipality of Saint-Cloud withdrew its 40,000 subsidy and the wider Ile-de-France region cancelled funding for 2025. The group strongly backs the Palestinian cause and bitterly criticises Israel, turning concerts into political events. Liam O'Hanna (stage name Mo Chara), 27, was charged in England in May accused of displaying a Hezbollah flag during a London concert. The band was barred from Hungary's Sziget festival.

Read at www.thelocal.fr