1 week Ago By [email protected] (Alana Loftus)
TV personality Sharon Osbourne has demanded that the US work visas of Irish rap group Kneecap be cancelled after their outspoken pro-Palestinian performance at Coachella. The wife of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne slammed the group, from Belfast , for "incorporating aggressive political statements" into their set during the California music festival, which sparked a mixed reaction from the media. During their show, a giant screen behind the trio displayed the message: "Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people.
" Read more: Kneecap to perform at outdoor Belfast gig this summer Read more: 'After not speaking Irish for 10 years, Kneecap inspired me to learn the teanga' The set also featured the lyrics: "It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes. F*** Israel, Free Palestine." This controversy follows a warning that thousands of Irish students on J1 visas in the US could face deportation, reports the Irish Star .
Osbourne took to social media platform X to share a statement, claiming that this year's Coachella would be remembered as one "that compromised its moral and spiritual integrity" because organisers Goldenvoice allowed artists to use their sets as a "platform for political expression". She argued that "At a time when the world is experiencing significant unrest, music should serve as an escape, not a stage for political discourse." Directing her critique at Kneecap, she penned a stinging rebuke: "I know for a fact that certain people in the industry had written to Goldenvoice, airing their concerns around the booking of Kneecap.
I urge you to join me in advocating for the revocation of Kneecap's work visa." Yet it wasn't just Kneecap stirring things up at Coachella; punk-rock mainstays Green Day also made waves with a provocative twist on their track 'Jesus of Suburbia', substituting lyrics to resonate with Palestinian solidarity — "running away from pain like the kids from Palestine". Only yesterday, Fox News aired a segment on 'Outnumbered' where pundit Riley Gaines weighed in, labelling them as "rogue activist judges.
" She put out her view forthrightly: "Look, if Green Day, if Kneecap, which is a band I've never even heard of, if they want to be for the Palestinian people, then they shouldn't be anti-Israel, they should be anti-Hamas." For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our What's On newsletter ..
