Massive Attack have taken to their social media to speak up in support of the Irish punk-rap group, Kneecap, and their controversial Coachella performance. The group, internationally lauded for its influential trip-hop and experimental soundscapes, is also no stranger to activism. It has publicly supported various human rights and environmental causes.
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In their recent statement in support of Kneecap and their anti-genocide messaging, Massive Attack shared a lengthy statement with a focus on how “Kneecap are not the story. Gaza is the story. Genocide is the story.“
Massive Attack questioned the “politicians and right-wing journalists strategically concocting moral outrage” over Kneecap and if they have “any right to intimidate festival events into acts of political censorship” while “ignoring a genocide happening in real time including the killing of journalists in unprecedented numbers).”
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This past August, at Massive Attack’s concert at the Downs in Bristol, UK, the legendary band invited Palestinian photojournalist Motaz Azaiza to speak on stage in support of Gaza and the Palestinian people. With Robert ‘3D’ Del Naja and Grant ‘Daddy G’ Marshall on stage behind him, Azaiza was welcomed with Palestinian flags waved throughout the crowd,cheering and fans shouting, “Free Palestine!” in solidarity.
During their performance, Del Naja’s 3D artwork was projected, revealing scenes of war and peace. Along with it was a lengthy dollar counter with a caption that read: “TOTAL MONEY AIDED TO ISRAEL FROM US BETWEEN 1946 AND 2023 IN DOLLARS.”
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Massive Attack shared the following statement in support of the Irish band Kneecap and their anti-genocide messaging at Coachella.
KNEECAP ARE NOT THE STORY
If senior politicians can find neither the time, nor the words to condemn, say, the murder of fifteen voluntary aid workers in Gaza, or the illegal starvation of a civilian population as a method of warfare, or the killing of thousands & thousands of children in the same territory, by a state in possession of the highest precision weapons on earth; how much notice should a music festival take of their moral advice on booking performing acts?
As a band that has spoken publicly for more than 30 years about the illegal occupation, apartheid system and killing with impunity of thousands of Palestinians, we are hyper aware of the both the human cost of abject political silence, and the commercial implications of publicly expressing solidarity with an oppressed people.
Language matters of course. The hideous murders of elected politicians Jo Cox and David Amess means there’s no scope for flippancy or recklessness.
But do politicians and right-wing journalists strategically concocting moral outrage over the stage utterings of a young punk band, while simultaneously obfuscating or even ignoring a genocide happening in real time including the killing of journalists in unprecedented numbers) have any right to intimidate festival events into acts of political censorship?
Kneecap are not the story.
Gaza is the story.
Genocide is the story.
And the silence, acquiescence and support of those crimes against humanity by the elected British government is the real story.
Solidarity with all artists with the moral courage to speak out against Israeli war crimes, and the ongoing persecution and slaughter of the Palestinian people.
~ Massive Attack
