The photo comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the band should not be allowed to appear at all and his government confirmed it was set to proscribe the activist group
Irish rap trio Kneecap have shared a picture of one of its members wearing a t-shirt in support of Palestine Action — as huge crowds forced Glasto bosses to close the stage where they were performing.
JJ O Dochartaigh — who performs as DJ Próvaí — wore a t-shirt which reads “We are all Palestine Action”, a reference the anti-Israeli activist group set to be proscribed as a terrorist organisation after spraying paint into the jet engines of military aircraft at RAF Brize Norton.
The picture was shared to the group’s Instagram page just before they took to the stage at Glastonbury, where thousands had already crammed into the West Holts field to watch them.
Members of Palestine Action broke into the RAF base in Oxfordshire last week, spraying red paint on two planes which it claimed were helping to refuel US and Israeli fighter jets.
Crowds for Kneecap’s controversial set — which PM Sir Keir Starmer said “was not appropriate” due to an ongoing court case involving Liam Og O hAnnaidh — forced organisers to shut off access to the stage 45 minutes before they were due to take to the stage.
Fans were reportedly setting up camp well into the previous set at the stage and punters were seen walking through through the swollen crowds flogging Palestinian flags in aid of charities in Gaza.
Some fans have draped themselves in the flag to escape the heat. Others are tying them to security fences around the arena.
Frontman Liam — who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, Irish for ‘my friend’ — was released on unconditional bail after appearing at court charged under the Terrorism Act earlier this month.
He is accused of holding a flag in support of proscribed terrorist group Hezbollah while saying “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” during a gig in November in Kentish Town, north London.
The BBC said it will not stream Kneecap’s performance live, but it is thought to be made available on-demand via the iPlayer later. However, it is thought the BBC needs to consider the performance before making a final decision.
A BBC spokesperson said: “As the broadcast partner, the BBC is bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers.
“While the BBC doesn’t ban artists, our plans ensure that our programming meets our editorial guidelines. We don’t always livestream every act from the main stages and look to make an on-demand version of Kneecap’s performance available on our digital platforms, alongside more than 90 other sets.”
The band said on Instagram: “The propaganda wing of the regime has just contacted us… They WILL put our set from Glastonbury today on the iPlayer later this evening for your viewing pleasure.”
Kneecap took to the stage to a montage of news clips about the band before opening their set with Better Way To Live and Sick In The Head, pacing the stage and jumping on monitors.
DJ Provai asked the crowd if they’d seen the news, before leading the audience in a chant of “free Mo Chara”. Bandmate Móglai Bap told the crowd: “It’s not the first time there was a miscarriage of justice for an Irish person in the British justice system.”
Mo Chara thanked Eavis family, who organise Glastonbury, for not cancelling their show on Saturday afternoon, despite pressure from politicians and the music industry. He said: “The pressure that that family was under and they stood strong. Fair play to them. We had the prime minster of your country say he didn’t want us to play.”
Up before Kneecap on the West Holts stage was rapper Bob Vylan, who has been equally vocal about Israel’s military action in Gaza.
Towards the end of his set, he led the crowd in chants of ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘Death to the IDF (Israeli Defence Force).
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
