DUBAI: Irish rap group Kneecap continued to voice their stance on the war in Gaza during their performance in Oslo, Norway, on Friday.
Just before the trio— Mo Chara, Moglai Bap and DJ Provai — took the stage, a message in white text on a black background appeared on a video screen, accusing the Norwegian government of “enabling” the “genocide” against Palestinians through investments in the country’s sovereign wealth fund, referring to it as the “oil pension fund.”
“Over 80,000 people have been murdered by Israel in 21 months,” the band’s message continued, “Free Palestine.” The message was received with cheers from the audience.
Kneecap has supported the Palestinian cause throughout the war in Gaza. The band has been the center of controversy in Britain since last year, when the previous government sought to block an arts grant for the band, citing its anti-British politics. That decision was overturned after the Labour Party won last year’s parliamentary election and Prime Minister Keir Starmer took office.
Last month, the group was banned from entering Hungary for three years over accusations of antisemitism.
They were due to perform at the Sziget Festival on Aug. 11.
Kneecap said in a statement that their ban was a “further attempt to silence those who call out genocide against the Palestinian people.”
At Glastonbury Festival this year, Chara accused Israel of committing war crimes against the Palestinians.
More than 150 Hungarian artists and musicians signed a petition against Kneecap playing at Sziget.
But festival organizers said that the government’s ban was “both unnecessary and regrettable,” adding the group had “reassured us that their performance would not contravene either Sziget’s values or Hungarian law.”
