Kneecap, the staunchly pro-Palestine Irish language hip hop trio based in Belfast, says they have received "hundreds of violent Zionist threats" after their "F--k Israel" and "Free Palestine" displays during their set at Coachella on Friday, April 18.
"Some uncensored messaging to Coachella," Kneecap said on X following their second set at the festival on Friday evening, April 18.
Pictures showed the messages that were displayed during Kneecap's set: "Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people.
"It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes.
"F--k Israel. Free Palestine."
As of Wednesday afternoon, the post has been liked more than 30k times.
Some uncensored messaging to Coachella 🤝🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/WbHZBrCZl5
— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) April 19, 2025
It was Kneecap's second set at Coachella this year - the Irish language group also performed the previous Friday during the first weekend of the annual festival.
"If anyone was wondering, Margaret Thatcher is still dead," one of the group's members said during their April 11 set, before leading the cheering crowd in a sing-song of "Maggie's in a box."
@KNEECAPCEOL "Not the only thing that was cut - our messaging on the US-backed genocide in Gaza somehow never appeared on screens either.
Back next Friday Coachella and it’ll be sorted 🇵🇸
Grma to everyone who packed out the tent 🔥"
Kneecap leading the crowd on "Maggie's In A… pic.twitter.com/gAjOj4kcWn
— 🔻agitprop & absurdity🔻 (@agtprpnabsrdty) April 13, 2025
The livestream of Kneecap's first Coachella set was reportedly cut and is not on Coachella's YouTube page.
Kneecap later claimed: "Not the only that that was cut - messaging on the US-backed genocide in Gaza somehow never appeared on screens either," adding that it would be "sorted" for their second gig.
Not the only thing that was cut - our messaging on the US-backed genocide in Gaza somehow never appeared on screens either.
Back next Friday Coachella and it’ll be sorted 🇵🇸
Grma to everyone who packed out the tent 🔥 https://t.co/R8Egq5lS9q
— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) April 12, 2025
Indeed, the pro-Palestinian messaging was "sorted" for Kneecap's appearance at the second weekend of Coachella on Friday, April 18.
However, Kneecap's performance was not live-streamed like it had been the previous weekend.
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Coming to assist was Hasan Piker, a self-described political commentator who has more than 3 million followers between X and Twitch. Piker joined Kneecap on stage during their second Coachella set and live-streamed the performance to his platforms.
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"Free free Palestine"
During their set on April 18, band member Mo Chara told the huge crowd: "The Irish not so long ago were persecuted at the hands of the Brits, but we were never bombed from the f--king skies with nowhere to go.
"The Palestinians have nowhere to go. It's their f--king home and they're bombing them from the skies.
"If you're not calling it a genocide, what the f--k are you calling it?"
Amidst cheers from the crowd, Mo Chara then led the audience in chants of "Free, free Palestine."
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
Kneecap's "fan mail"
On Sunday, Kneecap shared screenshots of some of the "fan mail" they received after their Coachella set.
"If I see you first, you get a ball peen hammer in the head for supporting Islam," one screenshot said.
"I'd love nothing more for you all to die in a house fire," another read.
Elsewhere, Sharon Osbourne, wife of Ozzy Osbourne, called for Kneecap's work visas to be revoked, while Kneecap's messaging was also slated as "unreal" and "staggering" on the Fox News program "Outnumbered."
However, on Tuesday, the group shared screenshots of emails praising them, noting that the batch was "amongst the hundreds of violent Zionist threats."
Amongst the hundreds of violent Zionist threats there's thousands of these ❤️🇵🇸❤️ pic.twitter.com/a7KfgZzfNW
— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) April 22, 2025
"Really important to speak truths"
On Wednesday evening, the band's manager Daniel Lambert spoke to RTÉ's Drivetime about the reaction.
Lambert said "hundreds of young Americans" came up to them at Coachella "to say that they [Kneecap] had something that wasn't being said in America and that these kids believe in."
He continued: "The reality here is that somewhere between 50 and 100,000 people have been murdered, 20,000 of them are children.
"If somebody is offended by what were factual images and what was said on the screens ... is that Israel is committing a genocide against the people of Palestine. Ireland supports the case that South Africa has taken, so Ireland supports that position.
"The second thing that was said on the screens was that this genocide is being armed and enabled by the US government, and I don't think that anybody could deny that.
"So if somebody's hurt by the truth, that's something for them to be hurt by.
"But it's really important to speak truths and thankfully the lads are not afraid to do that."
Lambert noted that Kneecap's messaging was directed at the government of Israel, not all of the people of Israel.
Regarding the threats Kneecap says they have been receiving, Lambert said it would be "too severe" to reveal the details on the radio, but did say that some of them involved death threats.
Lambert went on to praise Kneecap to "stand up for what's right and are willing to do that despite the fact that it may harm their career, despite the fact that it may harm their income."
As it happens, Kneecap's convictions don't appear to be harming their career. On Wednesday night, they posted that they had completely sold out their October tour in the US and Canada.
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