Call for visa revocation and threats for an Irish band that criticized Israel and had pro-Palestinian messages at the Coachella festival / What artists say

Kneecap, an Irish rap band that has sparked vehement reactions through its pro-Palestinian and harsh messages to Israel, spoken at the American Festival, has rejected the criticisms from several directions and the call on the revocation of the visas received by the artists, writes the BBC.

The two concerts held by Kneecap this month at the California Coachella festival have aroused harsh criticism and many accusatory titles in the press.

The artists were accused of anti-Semitism and, in the best case, criticized that they made “aggressive statements” against Israel.

Sharon Osbourne, a TV personality and manager in the musical field, was one of the voices that attacked the artists for the “aggressive political statements” on the stage of the important festival.

“The statements are not aggressive, the killing of 20,000 children is,” the Irish band replied, according to the BBC.

“It is very important to tell the truth”

Kneecap, originally from Belfast, have long been vocal supporters of the Palestinian cause, often evoking conflict in their live shows.

Speaking to Irish broadcaster RTé, manager Kneecap said he is with artists. “If someone is affected by the truth, then this is the case, but it is very important to tell the truth,” he stressed.

Daniel Lambert added: “Fortunately, boys are not afraid to do this.”

He also said that the band received threats with death following their show in Coachella and described the threats as “too serious to be detailed.”

US authorities have not clearly reported whether they intend to respond to the call for the revocation of visas for artists.

The US State Department has told the BBC that, when taking into account the dismissions, it is looking at information that “may indicate a potential ineligibility visa in accordance with American immigration laws, is a threat to public safety or other situations in which the revocation is justified.”

Such a decision would be important, given that the band is about to hold a series of concerts in the US and Canada in the coming months.

Kneecap at Coachella

At the end of their second weekend concert at Coachella, which was not broadcast on the official youtube page of the festival, Kneecap designed three text screens.

The first message said: “Israel commits genocide against the Palestinian people,” followed by: “This is allowed by the US government, which arouses and finances Israel despite their war crimes,” and a last screen added: “F *** Israel. Free Palestine.”

During the show, one of the band members, Mora, had also launched harsh critics to Israel

“Not long ago, the Irish were persecuted by the British, but we were never bombarded from heaven, without having to go. The Palestinians have nowhere to go,” he said.

The band also urged the audience to pro-palestinian scandals.

On April 11, during the first representation of Kneecap in Coachella, the group was criticized after directing an anti-Margaret Thatcher-which was later omitted from the festival's livestream-together with calls for a united Ireland.

Call on Visa Revocation

On Tuesday, Sharon Osbourne said in a post on social networks that the shares of the band included “projections of anti-Israel messages and an hatred speech.”

“This band openly supports terrorist organizations,” she added.

Also, Osbourne criticized the organizers of the festival – Goldenvoice

“The stories indicate that Goldenvoice was not aware of the political intentions of the Kneecap when they were scheduled,” Osbourne said.

“However, after attending the show in the first weekend, the fact that they allowed them to sing again the next weekend suggests their rhetoric support and a lack of diligence,” she continued.

“This behavior raises question marks on the opportunity to participate in such a festival and other shows that are scheduled to support in the US,” Osbourne said.

“I know for sure that some people in the industry have written Goldenvoice, expressing their concern about the contracting of the Kneecap band,” she said.

Osbourne is the wife of Ozzy Osbourne, the soloist of the band Black Sabbath, and a former sworn in the TV shows The X-Factor and America's Got Talent. She also managed her husband's solo career.

Osbourne ended her post asking Kneecap's work.

What the US State Department said

US authorities have not yet announced any decision in this regard.

“Due to the confidentiality and other considerations, as well as the confidentiality of the visas, we will not generally comment on the actions of the Department on specific cases,” said a spokesman for the US State Department.

They said that the Trump administration “focuses on protecting the country and citizens by maintaining the highest national security and public security standards through the process of granting visas”.

“When taking into account the dismissions, the department analyzes the information that arises after the visa is issued and which may indicate an ineligibility of the visa in accordance with the American immigration laws, which represents a threat to public safety or other situations in which the revocation is justified,” they added.

“These can include anything, from arrests, criminal convictions and employment in a behavior that is not in accordance with the visa classification, to a stay over time,” said the official.

Antiterrorist police evaluate an older clip from a Kneecap concert

The manager Kneecap rejected the idea that the harsh messages to the Israer targets all the Israelis.

“No definitely. I think when we are in Israel in messages, as we did, we refer to the Israeli government,” he said.

During this time, an older registration with artists from a London local, November, is currently evaluated by the antitrorist police.

The target video seems to surprise a member of the group shouting “Up Hamas, Up Hezbollah” during a show at the Kentish Town Forum and seems to show a Hezbollah flag.

Both Hamas and Hezbollah are forbidden in the United Kingdom, and the expression of support for them is a crime.

“The video was informed and was submitted to the unit to combat terrorism for evaluation and to determine if an additional police investigation is required,” said a Met Police spokesman.