Johnny Marr spoke up against the attempts to censor Kneecap’s set at Glastonbury. The founding member of The Smiths shared, “I’ve played Glastonbury many times and the festival has always had a political aspect. It was founded as a place of free expression and political activism and it’s a fact that I agreed to play there with The Smiths in 1984 purely because to do so at the time was a political act.”
Marr went on to state that he stands “with my audience and fellow musicians who call for an immediate end to the atrocities and a free Palestine.”
“Oppression fears artistic expression. I respect all musicians who use their platform to speak out against injustice, who promote compassion and equality and give voice to the voiceless.”
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Marr’s statement comes after a letter, allegedly sent by a powerful music agent and signed by 30 industry professionals, was shared by producer Toddla T, who worked with Kneecap on their 2024 debut album Fine Art. In a post on Instagram, he criticised the move as a covert attempt to silence the Belfast trio for their activism in relation to Gaza.
The Irish band Kneecap has come under fire after their Coachella performance where they shared their usual pro-Palestine messaging, along with anti-Israel, anti-apartheid, anti-genocide and anti-oppression messaging.
What followed was a witch-hunt that resulted in member Mo Chara’s (Liam O’Hanna) “terror offense,” after British police stated he waved a Hezbollah flag at a concert in November 2024 in London. Kneecap has received an immense amount of support. Numerous artists, including Massive Attack and Fontaines D.C., have applauded their activism, and fans have shown their support at big shows, such as a recent surprise sold-out gig at the 100 Club in London, ahead of their Wide Awake Festival headline spot, which saw some 25,000 people in attendance.
Kneecap have since continued to sell out all tour dates including their U.S. run. The recent addition of a tour date at OVO Arena Wembley in London on September 18 is nearly sold out with very few tickets left.
O’Hanna, is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. Fans and supporters have been called to support O’Hanna.
Kneecap is scheduled to perform at Glastonbury on Saturday, June 28 on the West Holts stage.
READ MORE: Music Artists You Should Know: Kneecap
