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The Irish rap group Kneecap continued to ignite controversy at Coachella’s second weekend by criticizing Israel for its ongoing struggle in Gaza and main a “free Palestine” chant throughout their set. The band additionally projected anti-Israel messages on the Sonora tent backdrop.
The projections have been apparently additionally used through the pageant’s first weekend and led to the livestream of the band’s set being minimize off; on the second weekend, the Sonora tent’s units weren’t livestreamed, presumably as a result of these messages.
“Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” the projections learn. “It is being enabled by the U.S. government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes. Fuck Israel; free Palestine.”
While the outcry throughout weekend one was comparatively restricted, on weekend two it was a lot bigger. Multiple commentators on-line known as for Coachella organizers Goldenvoice and mum or dad firm AEG Presents to remark.
Reps for the 2 corporations didn’t instantly reply to Variety’s requests for remark.
Last week, the band claimed on X that Coachella had censored their protest, however assured the pageant over social media that they’d be “back next Friday” and it might “be sorted.” During their weekend two set, the band began a “free, free Palestine chant,” and acknowledged “the Irish are not so longer persecuted under the Brits, but we were never bombed under the fucking skies with nowhere to go.”
Kneecap weren’t the one artists to show pro-Palestinian messages on the pageant; British punk duo Bob Vylan displayed a Palestinian flag throughout their set weekend one and commented on Gaza as effectively. That group additionally carried out within the Sonora tent; it’s unclear whether or not it voiced related messages
Former Justin Bieber/Ariana Grande supervisor Scooter Braun, who final 12 months staged an exhibit in Israel and Los Angeles about Hamas’ October 7 assaults in Israel, defended Goldenvoice founder Paul Tollett on social media.
“This is my friend Paul Tollett, the founder of [Coachella],” Braun wrote in an Instagram publish Sunday. “He is someone who lives and breathes the festival community. He fights for artists and he fights for all people. When I invited him to the opening of the Nova music exhibit in Los Angeles, he was the first person from the industry to accept. He came on his own time and spent five hours in the exhibit and then met with survivors of nova and invited them to the festival this year as his guest. He cried with them, he laughed with them, and he continues to advocate for them. Let’s not lose sight of who this man is, and let us stand with him in this moment when a group, without his knowing, took advantage of his festival and created hate in a place that’s filled with love.”
Variety could have extra on the scenario because it develops.