Kneecap band Coachella: Sharon Osborne calls on US to revoke Visas after Belfast band slam Israel and US Government over Gaza - Kemi Badenoch also weighs in
American TV personality Sharon Osborne has called on the US government to revoke the work visas of Belfast group Kneecap after it slammed Israel and the US government during a US music festival.
The west Belfast republican rap group – which consists of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí – targeted American foreign policy at the Coachella gig, claiming the US "arms and funds Israel despite their war crimes”.
At the end of their set at the second weekend of US music festival Coachella, the band projected three messages onto large screens.
The first read: "Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people," while the second said: "It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes."
A final message read: "F*** Israel. Free Palestine."
During their performance, frontman Mo Chara likened Ireland's colonial history to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
'Palestinians have nowhere to go. This is their f***ing home, and they're being bombed from the sky,' he said.
But Sharon told her 2.2m followers that she took exception to their political comments, urging the US government to cancel their work visas - which could potentially wipe out their planned tour dates in the US.
Following her criticism, the band tweeted to their 228k followers a list of 22 planned concerts from now until 28 October - almost all of them in the US, with a handful in Canada.
On Saturday the band tweeted a clip of them performing at Coachella, calling Americans onto the streets to protest at the Israel-Hamas war - and also using an expletive to describe US President Donald Trump.
"Mo chara speaking to thousands of Americans at Coachella," the band tweeted. "The young people of America don't support genocide, get out on the streets and show this to that c*** Trump."
KEMI BADENOCH INTERVENES
Conservative Party Leader Kemi Badenoch also tweeted on the matter today, noting that when she was a minister she blocked Kneecap from getting taxpayer funding.
“Labour didn't contest the legal case the band brought and they walked away with £14,250 of OUR money,” she said.
"Perhaps now Labour see Kneecap openly glorifying evil terror groups, they will apologise for rolling over. But I doubt it.”
SHARON OSBORNE APPEALS TO US GOVERNMENT
In her 470 word statement on X, Ms Osborne said that the legendary US music festival this year "will be remembered as a festival that compromised its moral and spiritual integrity".
She added: "Goldenvoice, the festival organizer, facilitated this by allowing artists to use the Coachella stage as a platform for political expression.
"At a time when the world is experiencing significant unrest, music should serve as an escape, not a stage for political discourse.
"While festivals like Coachella showcase remarkable talent from around the globe, music's primary purpose is to unite people.
"It should not be a venue for promoting terrorist organizations or spreading hate."
She said the band Green Day shared their views on the Middle East, which she felt would have been more appropriate at their concert and not a festival.
But she added: "Kneecap, an Irish rap group, took their performance to a different level by incorporating aggressive political statements.
"Their actions included projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech, and this band openly support terrorist organizations.
"This behavior raises concerns about the appropriateness of their participation in such a festival and further shows they are booked to play in the USA.”
Speaking of the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas in 2023, she said: "Not one IDF soldier was killed that day, just 1400 innocent civilians."
She added: "As someone with both Irish Catholic on my Mothers side and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage on my Fathers side, and extensive experience in the music industry, I understand the complexities involved."
Ms Osborne expressed scepticism at claims by organisers Goldenvoice that they were "blindsided" by Kneecap’s performance.
"I know for a fact that certain people in the industry had written to Goldenvoice, airing their concerns around the booking of Kneecap,” she said.
"I urge you to join me in advocating for the revocation of Kneecap’s work visa."
ISRAELI MUSIC FESTIVAL REACHES OUT TO KNEE CAP
The Tribe of Nova, organisers of the Nova Festival in Israel which saw hundreds of visitors tortured, killed and kidnapped by Hamas on 7 October 2023, issued a conciliatory statement to the Belfast Band.
The attack on the Nova festival played a major part in prompting Israel's ongoing offensive against Hamas in Gaza which has cost some 50,000 lives - though Hamas refuses to say how many of those killed were armed fighters.
The Tribe of Nova said: "This past weekend at Coachella, the band Kneecap shared messaging that deeply hurt many in our community – an affront made even more painful in light of the massacre that took place at the Nova Music Festival on October 7."
It added: "We invite the members of Kneecap to visit the Nova Exhibition in Toronto and experience firsthand the stories of those who were murdered, those who survived, and those who are still being held hostage. Not to shame or silence—but to connect. To witness. To understand."
They concluded: "Healing begins with listening. And we believe that even those who have spoken from a place of anger or misinformation are capable of empathy—if they are willing to see."
US STATE DEPARTMENT RESPONSE
Responding to Osborne's calls, a US State Department spokesperson told BBC News NI that the Trump administration "is focused on protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process".
"When considering revocations, the Department looks at information that arises after the visa was issued that may indicate a potential visa ineligibility under U.S. immigration laws, pose a threat to public safety, or other situations where revocation is warranted," they added.
"This can include everything from arrests, criminal convictions, and engaging in conduct that is inconsistent with the visa classification, to an overstay."
The News Letter has reached out to Kneecap for comment.