From the Liveblog of
Sunday, August 24, 2025
Kneecap defies objectors with ‘Free Palestine’ chant at Paris gig
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleIrish rap group Kneecap, one of whose members face a British terror charge for allegedly supporting Hezbollah, has repeated its criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza, during a performance outside Paris, despite objections from French Jewish groups and government officials.
The concert, which began shortly before 6:30 p.m. (1630 GMT) in front of several thousand people in the Paris suburb of Saint-Cloud, went ahead in the face of complaints from the Belfast trio’s critics.
Le collectif anti-palestinien "nous vivrons" a tenté de perturber le concert de Kneecap à Rock en Seine.
Leur pathétique happening a duré 30 secondes et a été ignoré par la majorité du public. Le concert a pu se dérouler sans problème et le groupe a livré une énorme performance. pic.twitter.com/izmgGvBc67
— Camille Stineau (@CamilleStineau) August 24, 2025
“Free, free Palestine!” the trio shouted at the start of their show, rallying an enthusiastic crowd where keffiyehs and Irish jerseys were visible, before insisting they were not against Israel.
After organizers kept the politically outspoken band on the program, local authorities withdrew their subsidies for the music festival where the gig took place — the annual Rock en Seine festival.
The group from Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, have made a habit of using their concerts to canvas for the Palestinian cause and bitterly criticize Israel.
The Times of Israel Community.