Irish rap group Kneecap perform controversial Glastonbury set

FRANCE 24 English

Visit our website: http://www.france24.com  Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/France24_en

Transcript

00:00The members of the Northern Irish band, NICAP, came to Glastonbury with a clear message.

00:10Palestinian flags mingle with Irish balaclavas, a reference to the IRA, the pro-independence

00:17paramilitary group active in the 70s and 80s.

00:21But it's their alleged support for another group, Lebanon's Hezbollah, classified as

00:26a terrorist organisation in the UK, that sees singer Mo Chara accused of supporting terrorism.

00:33The charge stems from his alleged lifting of the group's flag on stage.

00:39Last week, Prime Minister Keistama said it was inappropriate for the band to participate

00:44in the festival.

00:46People remembered.

00:51Pleasant to see him today, obviously with everything that's been going on as well.

00:54I think it's quite important that, yeah, it's quite important to do a big turnout in the

00:59freedom of speech and the messages I've put across are heard.

01:03In June, a crowd of supporters attended the London hearing related to the charge of supporting

01:09a terrorist group.

01:10Mo Chara was later released on bail.

01:13Since then, the band's been removed from the line-up of a series of summer concerts, notably

01:19in Scotland and Germany.

01:21Glastonbury, which has a reputation as a progressive left-leaning festival, resisted pressure to

01:27uninvite them.

01:29The BBC, which has broadcast the event for almost 30 years, decided not to show their performance

01:36live.

Category

Transcript

Recommended