Controversial rappers Kneecap announce four new Paris concerts

Kneecap is already preparing its return to Parisian soil. This Sunday, to close its concert at Rock en Seine , the trio of rappers from West Belfast (Northern Ireland) announced four new dates in the capital. Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí, stage names of Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh respectively, will take over Le Trianon on September 7 and 8, before going to the Élysée Montmartre on November 10 and 11.

" We are happy because you, French people, also carry our message of peace," declared the leader of the group Mo Chara yesterday on the Saint-Cloud stage. Before displaying, as he left the stage, a poster adorned with green, white and orange on the big screen. The four dates were accompanied by the painting of the Mona Lisa , on which the illustrious Mona Lisa wore a balaclava in the colors of Ireland. The same one worn by DJ Próvaí on a daily basis.

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This announcement could be the subject of further controversy. Their appearance at Rock en Seine last weekend raised concerns among the authorities, with the Île-de-France region deciding to cut its subsidies to the festival, as did the city of Saint-Cloud . Ten days ago, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau condemned " the comments made by this group" in an open letter, assuring his "intransigence towards any comments of an anti-Semitic nature, apology for terrorism or incitement to hatred, which will be directly prosecuted."

The event, which drew some 15,000 people in the late afternoon, ultimately took place under good conditions. The atmosphere remained fairly calm, despite the chants of "everyone hates the police" and "Macron resign" heard in the audience. Throughout the concert, the three rappers affirmed their support for Palestine and the Irish reunification movement. " There is a lot of pressure right now in Palestine, and we will not remain silent in the face of this genocide, that will not change ," Mo Chara said. "Netanyahu is a war criminal, if you don't call that genocide, I don't know what is."

Four days before the Paris concert, Mo Chara appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court on charges of "terrorist offenses" after waving a Hezbollah flag and chanting "Go Hamas, Go Hezbollah" on stage at a London concert last year. The verdict at the hearing was eventually adjourned until September 26 , allowing the band to perform freely at Rock en Seine. The band, for its part, was asked by French legal authorities to sign a code of conduct to perform in the country.