Rap group Kneecap took aim at the DUP and the Alliance Party as they were given a rapturous welcome back to Belfast by a crowd waving pro-Palestine flags.
The trio’s set on Friday at the Vital festival in Belfast also criticised Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and called for the US military to be kept out of Ireland.
Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, told the crowd at Boucher Playing Fields: “It’s good to be home”.
“I would like to thank the DUP and the Alliance Party, and their supporters, for trying to cancel this gig,” Naoise O Caireallain, aka Moglai Bap, told the crowd.
“You couldn’t pay for the PR the DUP gives Kneecap.”
“We owe the DUP our career, so this is our public thanks for the DUP,” O hAnnaidh said.
O Caireallain added: “I think the Alliance Party need to look at themselves, if they are on the same side as the DUP there must be something wrong with the Alliance Party.”
It comes after O hAnnaidh appeared in court charged with a terrorism offence relating to allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, during a gig in November 2024.
The group said their actions, including the accusation of holding the Hezbollah flag, had been taken out of context and that the case should be thrown out because of a technical error.
O hAnnaidh told the crowd in Belfast on Friday: “I think it’s important as Irish people we stay on the right side of history.
“As we sit here enjoying ourselves, our brothers and sisters in Palestine are enduring a genocide.
“I know I don’t have to lecture you people out there, I see an awful lot of support and I f****** massively appreciate it.”
“The thing is, with whatever platform we have, we feel it’s important to use a few minutes of it at the very least at every single gig to at least draw attention to the ongoing genocide.
“We don’t give a f*** about the repercussions any more. This is bigger than Kneecap.
“Netanyahu is a war criminal. Free Palestine.”
The crowd, wearing Palestine jerseys and keffiyehs, then began chanting “Free Free Palestine”.
Earlier this week, the rappers cancelled a string of US tour dates because of their “proximity” to O hAnnaidh’s next appearance at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on September 26.
O hAnnaidh said: “Not the first Irish man up in a f****** British court for terrorism, allegedly.”
O Caireallain told the crowd: “It’s a pleasure to be back in Belfast. They won’t have us in Hungary, they won’t have us in the US, but they’ll always have us in Belfast.”
They also called on people to “boycott McDonalds”.
The rap group – which is made up of O hAnnaidh, O Caireallain, and JJ O Dochartaigh, aka DJ Provai – are known for their provocative lyrics and championing of the Irish language and a pro-Palestine stance.
Kneecap claim the controversies surrounding the group are part of a smear campaign against them because of their vocal support for Palestine and criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza, which they say is a genocide.
They performed to a sea of Palestinian flags during their set at Glastonbury Festival in June, which was initially investigated by police.
Police later said they would be taking “no further action” against the band.
The band, who formed in Belfast and released their first single in 2017, began their set on Friday night with a message on screen that said “Get the US military out of Ireland” and “Free Palestine” before launching into their song Making Headlines.
They ended the set with The Recap, which featured a message on stage that said “F*** Badenoch”.
The band also performed Better Way To Live with Fontaines DC frontman Grian Chatten before the Dublin band took to the stage later on Friday evening.
