Irish hip-hop band Kneecap have come under fire for their pro-Palestine messages during Coachella music festival in America.
The band took to the stage to perform on Saturday accompanied by a “f**k Israel, free Palestine” display.
“They’re bombing them from the skies. If you’re not calling it a genocide, what the f**k are you calling it?” said group member Mo Chara.
Mo chara speaking to thousands of Americans at coachella.
The young people of America don't support genocide, get out on the streets and show this to that cunt Trump. 🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/fExyAn7GA6
— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) April 19, 2025
In response to the performance, American TV personality Sharon Osbourne has called for the band’s work visas to be revoked.
She wrote on social media that Kneecap “took their performance to a different level by incorporating aggressive political statements”.
Newstalk Breakfast presenter Shane Coleman said he may not always agree with Kneecap, but their right to free speech should not be infringed upon.
“I don’t like the suppression of free speech on either side of this argument, so I completely disagree with Sharon Osbourne” he said.
“Look, I don’t agree with everything Kneecap say, at times I think they go too far about certain issues, but I absolutely respect their right to say what they want to say.
“I don't agree with this thing of revoking visas or people being sent home because they’ve protested in a certain way, I just don't agree with that at all.
“But equally, I don’t agree with those people on the other side of the argument who are saying news organisations shouldn’t interview Israeli spokespeople or shouldn’t read statements from the Israeli government.”
Shane said the general public’s right to decide for themselves which side of the issue they support should be respected.
'We are not activists, we are journalists'
Fellow presenter Ciara Kelly said “in the same way Sharon Osbourne thinks Kneecap shouldn’t be entitled to their opinion... I think there are people who think that the people who are pro-Israel have no right to their opinion.”
“I do think it’s interesting that some of what they’re protesting about is the very fact of what you just said, that we’ve had on the former Israeli ambassador to Ireland, we've had spokespeople for the Israeli government," she said.
“We’ve had Hamas on, we’ve had everyone on - because that is our job.
“We are not activists, we are journalists.”
Shane said while it could be argued that UK or American media has not given fair coverage to the situation in Palestine, he’s not sure Irish media deserves the same criticism.
Main image: Shane Coleman in the Newstalk studio (L) and a projection to the background of Kneecap's Coachella stage which reads "F**k Israel, free Palestine".
