Members of Kneecap pose on the red carpet at the Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) Awards in Dublin, Ireland, Feb. 14, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

A British charity dedicated to exposing and combatting antisemitism across the United Kingdom is asking organizers of the upcoming Reading Festival in England to cancel a scheduled performance by the Irish rap group Kneecap because of their alleged promotion of antisemitism and terrorist organizations.

“The UK should not be platforming artists who spread hate,” Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said in a statement to The Algemeiner on Friday. “High-profile cultural events have a responsibility to exercise judgment over who they choose to promote. For a festival that prides itself on inclusivity and community, the decision to host Kneecap is profoundly at odds with the values it claims to champion.”

The charity added that it will “continue to write to all venues and festivals where Kneecap is scheduled to perform.”

The members of Kneecap are Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh, but they are better known by their respective stage names Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí. Kneecap has previously denied accusations of promoting antisemitism and the proscribed terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah. Meanwhile, they have continuously accused Israel of committing a “genocide” in the Gaza Strip.

The annual music festival in Reading will take place this year from Aug. 27-30. The Belfast rap trio will perform on the last day of the festival, which has a star-studded lineup that includes Raye, Charli XCX and Florence + The Machine.

In CAA’s letter to festival organizers, which was shared with The Algemeiner, the charity gave several examples in which members of Kneecap have been accused of promoting antisemitism and terror groups. In one noted instance, “imagery circulated online by or associated with the group has included a graphic depicting a swastika superimposed on the Israeli flag/the Jewish Star of David.” Making comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany is given as an example of antisemitism within the working definition by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), a definition which has been formally adopted by the UK government.

In February 2025, the band shared a photograph on social media that shows one of its members reading a book of statements by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, CAA noted. Both Hamas and Hezbollah have been designated by the UK and US as terrorist organizations.

O hAnnaidh was previously charged in the UK with a terror offense for his actions at a gig in north London in November 2024. During the performance, he draped a Hezbollah flag over his shoulders while saying “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah,” both of which are organizations banned in the UK under the Terrorism Act 2000. However, the charges against him were dismissed in September 2025. Kneecap said the flag was thrown on stage during the performance and that they “do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah.”

At the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California last year, Kneecap projected an anti-Israel message on stage that said: “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes. F–k Israel. Free Palestine.”

During their performance at the 2024 Reading Festival, Kneecap displayed a message on a video screen that criticized the British government for allegedly “enabling a genocide in Gaza.” Bap described Belfast as being “still under British occupation” and added, “there’s a worse occupation happening right now in Palestine.” The group then led the crowd in chanting “Free! Free! Palestine!” and Bap also concluded the band’s set by declaring “Free Palestine!”