Belfast rap group Kneecap ignited outrage in Paris after chanting “Free Palestine” at a major music festival, prompting funding cuts, government warnings, and fierce backlash from Jewish leaders.
Irish rap group Kneecap once again turned their stage into a political battleground on Sunday, stirring fresh controversy in France with anti-Israel slogans during their performance at the Rock en Seine festival in Saint-Cloud near Paris.
Opening their set, the trio shouted “Free, free Palestine!”, sparking mixed reactions from the crowd — cheers, boos, and a wave of keffiyehs and Irish flags. While the group insisted they were not “against Israel,” their words triggered swift political fallout.
The Saint-Cloud municipality revoked a €40,000 subsidy, and the Ile-de-France region canceled future funding for the 2025 edition of the festival. Despite pressure from Jewish organizations and government officials, organizers allowed the band to remain on stage.
This is not the first time Kneecap has used international stages to attack Israel.
- April (Coachella, California): They projected messages branding Israel a genocidal state, ending with the phrase: “F**k Israel. Free Palestine.”
- June (Glastonbury, UK): Rapper Mo Chara declared: “Israel are war criminals.”
- London (November): Mo Chara allegedly displayed a Hezbollah flag, leading to terrorism-related charges in the UK.
- Hungary (Summer 2025): The group was barred from performing at the Sziget Festival, after being denied entry by authorities.
Jewish leaders in France blasted their latest appearance. Yonathan Arfi, president of CRIF, condemned the group, accusing them of “desecrating the memory of the 50 French victims of Hamas on October 7, as well as all French victims of Hezbollah.”
France’s Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau warned that authorities were on high alert for antisemitic speech, incitement to hatred, or apology for terrorism during the event.
Kneecap, notorious for blending Irish republicanism with Palestinian activism, continues to court controversy wherever it tours — and France is now the latest stage of its political firestorm.
