The backlash around Irish rap trio Kneecap’s support of Palestine continues to grow, with a British politician now calling for the group to be kicked off an upcoming Fontaines D.C. show in Manchester, calling their inclusion on the bill “completely inappropriate.”
NME reports that Labour MP Christian Wakeford, a parliament member from Bury South, reached out to the leader of Manchester City Council and urged them not to allow Kneecap to perform at Fontaines D.C.’s concert scheduled for Aug. 15 at Wythenshawe Park. Additional acts performing that weekend include English Teacher, The Murder Capital, and Sam Fender.
There had been reports that the Manchester City Council and the concert’s promoter were engaged in conversations around “safety concerns” over Kneecap performing, which seems to stem from their public criticisms against the Israeli and U.S. governments.
Back in April, during their Coachella set, Kneecap displayed some messages from the stage, including: “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people…It is being enabled by the U.S.,” and “Fuck Israel / Free Palestine.” This and other comments they’ve made have led to the band being investigated by authorities.
Now, Wakeford is pressuring the Manchester council and organisers of the Wythenshawe Park show to kick Kneecap off the show because, he claims, “the message Kneecap seeks to spread is in direct conflict with those shared values” held by the city’s community. “I am writing to ask that Kneecap is dropped from the upcoming concerts at Wythenshawe Park, which is owned by Manchester City Council, next month,” his letter read.
In addition to detailing Keecap’s legal issues that he thinks should be cause enough to prohibit their performance, Wakeford stated that there is “open evidence of the group calling for the murder of MPs, a view completely incompatible with our core British values of democracy, tolerance and respect.”
Wakeford also points out that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had called for Kneecap to be banned from Glastonbury, which they ultimately played. “It is therefore completely inappropriate that Kneecap is allowed a platform in Wythenshawe to amplify such views any further,” Wakeford added, “especially in a region with one of the largest Jewish populations in the country.”
He then stated that he believes “these concerts will lead to incitement of violence and anti-Semitic hatred.” At this time, it’s unclear if Kneecap will be excluded from the performance.
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