Kneecap have responded to the news that they are banned from going to Hungary to play at next month’s Sziget Festival, insisting that the country’s government had “no legal basis” for refusing them entry, and that the move is simply a “political distraction and a further attempt to silence those who call out genocide against the Palestinian people”.
Alluding to the band’s repeated on-stage criticism of Israel and support for Palestine, a spokesperson for the Hungarian government and its Prime Minister, the controversial Viktor Orban, said that the rappers “repeatedly engage in antisemitic hate speech supporting terrorism and terrorist groups”.
As a result, the spokesperson claimed, the band “pose a national security threat” and have therefore been formally banned from entering Hungary for three years.
In their statement on social media, Kneecap note Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Hungary earlier this year. “The authoritarian government of Viktor Orban say we ‘pose a national security threat’”, they write, “which is fucking outrageous coming from a man who welcomed Netanyahu, a wanted war criminal, like a hero just a few weeks ago”.
“There is no legal basis” for the ban, they go on, adding “no member of Kneecap has ever been convicted of any crime in any country. We stand against all hate crimes and Kneecap champions love and solidarity as well as calling out injustices where we see it”.
The band also reference attempts by Orban’s government to stop this year’s Budapest Pride from going ahead, a move which failed and resulted in a record number of people attending the event. “Much like the good people of Budapest who defied their own President’s ban on their ‘Pride Parade’ in June”, Kneecap conclude, “we will fight on for what is right”.
Kneecap’s strongly worded criticism of Israel and consistent support for Palestine has been both commended and condemned by different groups.
Some of those who criticise the band have called on various countries to deny the group’s members any visas or permits that are required to tour internationally, especially since band member Mo Chara was charged with a terror offence over allegations he displayed a Hezbollah flag during a London gig.
It’s presumably based on allegations that Kneecap have expressed support for Hamas and Hezbollah – both proscribed terrorist organisations in the UK – that the Hungarian government said the group “supported terrorism and terrorist groups”.
But Mo Chara is fighting the terror offence charge – he’s due back in court next month – and the group have repeatedly insisted they do not in fact support either of the two terrorist organisations.
The US government has already revoked Kneecap’s visas in response to all the controversy. The band don’t actually need visas to play in Hungary, so it’s not entirely clear on what legal grounds they’ve been banned, though the government says if they try to enter the country “expulsion will follow under international norms”.
Organisers of Sziget criticised the Kneecap ban which they said was “an unprecedented move” that is “both unnecessary and regrettable”. They also revealed that, following concerns raised by the government and various pressure groups in Hungary about Kneecap’s booking, they “liaised closely with the band and they reassured us that their performance would not contravene either Sziget’s values or Hungarian law”.
“Sziget Festival’s values mean we condemn hate speech, while guaranteeing the fundamental right to artistic freedom of expression for every performer”, a statement from the festival continues, adding, “cancel culture and cultural boycotts are not the solution”.
“Over the past 30 years”, the festival goes on, “Sziget has served as a free and safe place for different cultures, hosting artists and visitors from around the world, earning significant recognition in the international community and enhancing Hungary’s reputation”.
The organisers then conclude, “We fear that the government’s decision announced today to ban Kneecap may not only damage the reputation of Sziget, but also negatively affect Hungary’s standing worldwide”.
