Kneecap has taken aim at the Hungarian government for its ‘outrageous’ decision to ban them from the country.
In recent months the Belfast-based rap group – which consists of Liam Og O hAnnaidh, Naoise O Caireallain, and JJ O Dochartaigh – has come under the spotlight, notably for their vocal support of Palestine.
Last month Og O hAnnaidh, who performs as Mo Chara, faced Westminster Magistrates’ Court after being charged with a terror offence.
The 27-year-old has been accused of displaying a flag representing Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation at a gig last November. He has denied the charges.
Then after their Glastonbury performance, in which O Caireallain suggested fans ‘start a riot’ outside his bandmate’s upcoming court appearance, Avon and Somerset Police launched a probe into their set.
Although it was announced last week that police had dropped their investigation, the band are again facing another hurdle.
Kneecap had been due to play at Sziget Festival in Budapest next month.
But earlier today Hungarian government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs revealed they’d been banned from the country for three years.
He said that the decision was made due to Kneecap members ‘repeatedly engage in antisemitic hate speech supporting terrorism and terrorist groups’.
‘Hungary has zero tolerance for antisemitism in any form.
‘Their planned performance posed a national security threat, and for this reason, the group has been formally banned from Hungary for three years. If they enter, expulsion will follow under international norms.’
A few hours later the band released a statement condemning the move.
‘To the tens of thousands of fans who we were buzzing to see in person at Sziget, we’re sorry we won’t be with you,’ they began.
‘The authoritarian government of Viktor Orban say we “pose a national security threat”.’
They went on to write that claim was ‘f***ing outrageous’, adding that the Prime Minister had ‘welcomed wanted war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu like a hero just a few weeks ago’.
‘There is no legal basis for his actions, no member of Kneecap has ever been convicted of any crime in any country. We stand against all hate crimes and Kneecap champions love and solidarity as well as calling out injustices when we see it,’ they continued.
‘It’s clear this is political distraction and a further attempt to silence those who call out genocide against the Palestinian people.
‘Much like the good people of Budapest, who defied their own President’s ban on their “Pride Parade” in June, we will fight for what is right.’
Festival organisers said the decision was ‘unnecessary and regrettable’ and could serve to ‘not only damage the reputation of Sziget, but also negatively affect Hungary’s standing worldwide’.
‘Sziget Festival’s values mean we condemn hate speech, while guaranteeing the fundamental right to artistic freedom of expression for every performer,’ they wrote in a statement.
‘Cancel culture and cultural boycotts are not the solution.’
Kneecap, who were scheduled to play a set at Sziget’s closing day on August 11, have faced the cancellation of several of their shows in the past few months, including the TRNSMT festival in Glasgow, the Eden Project in Cornwall, and Germany’s Hurricane Festival and Southside Festival.
The band have repeatedly shut down claims they support Hamas and have denied accusations of anti-Semitism.
‘Those attacking us want to silence criticism of a mass slaughter. They weaponise false accusations of antisemitism to distract, confuse, and provide cover for genocide,’ they said.
After the investigation into their Glastonbury set, Kneecap said they were being ‘targeted’ and faced ‘state intimidation’.
‘We will continue to fight. We will continue to win,’ they added.
Metro has contacted representatives for Kneecap for comment.
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