Kneecap backlash grows — but genocide in Gaza continues without consequence

When people are more outraged about a band’s political statements than about the brutal deaths of thousands of children, something is very wrong

Fans of Irish hip hop trio Kneecap wait for the band to perform during the 2025 Coachella festival in California: They have been dropped from festivals in Germany, and the band’s US booking agent has cut ties. Picture: Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images

Irish rap trio Kneecap have been at the centre of controversy since their now infamous Coachella set, their statements on Israel and Palestine fuelling a voracious backlash from public figures and political leaders.

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called for the hip-hop artists to be prosecuted. UK intelligence is investigating the group for alleged support of terrorist movements for a video dredged up from 2023 in which they allegedly say "the only good Tory is a dead Tory".