The behaviour of Belfast republican rap trio Kneecap just serves to vindicate unionist concerns about the “weaponisation” of the Irish language.

That is the view of the deputy leader of the TUV Ron McDowell, who has questioned the planned use of the council-owned Boucher Playing Fields to host the group.

Kneecap is due to play the south Belfast venue on Friday, August 29 as part of a festival called Belfast Vital.

The group is known for its promotion of the Irish language, as well as its violent republican motifs and its anti-Israeli commentary.

placeholder image — DJ Provai from Kneecap performs onstage during the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at Empire Polo Club on April 11, 2025 in Indio, California (VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)

One of its tweets promoting the group’s self-titled (and UK government-funded) film last June quoted the phrase “every word of Irish spoken... is a bullet for Irish freedom”.

Councillor McDowell told the News Letter: “While some dismiss Unionist concerns about the weaponisation of the Irish language, Kneecap underscore the fact that those concerns are well-founded.

“It is nonsense to claim that there is nothing to worry about when it comes to the present-day use of Irish and at the same time host an event featuring this group.

“Kneecap takes its name from the vile practice of the IRA which left many unable to walk again, and includes a member in a tricolour balaclava with a stage name [DJ Provai – pronounced “Provie”] making a joke of the most murderous terrorist organisation in western Europe.

“Belfast City Council can not claim with credibility that it is not acting in a sectarian and divisive manner in imposing Irish street signs on places where there is minimal support while at the same time granting the use of council owned property for such an event.”

In the last several days arguably the most significant Kneecap controversy to date has developed after the group displayed the words “f**k Israel” on stage at the huge Coachella music festival in California.

This led to a wave of criticism, and also led to the spotlight being shone on another recent gig the group had played.

Amid the furore surrounding the Coachella gig, videos circulated online showing one of the group’s members Mo Chara waving a Hezbollah flag (featuring an assault rifle) on stage in London last November, then shouting “tiocfaidh ar la, up Hamas, up Hezbollah”.

A Met Police counter-terror unit is now looking into this.

One day after the October 7 massacres in 2023, Kneecap had posted the message: “Solidarity with the Palestinian struggle.”

It commonly uses the phrase “f**k Israel” on Twitter; for example, in reference to four female soldiers being released by Hamas it said recently: "Despite the photos you’ll see today the 4 Israeli 'hostages' were serving occupying soldiers from the IOF… F**K ISRAEL."

Kneecap refuses to comment to the News Letter.

If its Belfast Vital gig goes ahead Kneecap would be supporting Dublin band Fontaines DC – a group which has also been vocal on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

According to the music magazine NME, Fontaines DC was due to play the Zorlu Centre in Istanbul last summer but pulled out because the firm that owns the centre is part of a group which runs a power plant supplying 5% to 8% of Israel’s energy.