Kneecap court controversy, critics

Irish rappers Kneecap are "unfazed" by their legal problems and controversies kicked up by their anti-Israel pro-Palestinian statements, friend and film director Rich Peppiatt told AFP.
Peppiatt helped create the Kneecap phenomenon with his 2024 semi-fictionalised film about the hip-hop group from Belfast, who are now playing major festivals around the world.
The trio made headlines by projecting the words "F*** Israel, Free Palestine" during their gig at US festival Coachella in April, while lyricist Mo Chara is set to appear in a London court on a terror charge on Wednesday.
Chara, whose real name is Liam Og O Hannaidh, is accused of displaying a flag of Lebanon-based and anti-Israel militant group Hezbollah — a banned organisation — at a gig last year.
"Even through all the controversy at the moment, they just shrug their shoulders and get on with it," Peppiatt told AFP. "They are just completely unfazed by anything."
The former journalist first encountered Kneecap in a pub in Belfast in 2019 and was struck by their local fanbase, eventually convincing Chara, Moglai Bap and DJ Provai to appear in the film about their lives.
"They've always been controversial at a local level, and they've always bounced back from it," Peppiatt continued.
"The amount of times in the last six years I've heard 'that's the end of Kneecap' because of something they've said or done, and all it's done is propelled them to the next level," he said.
British colonialism
Kneecap started out as an overtly political project, with the group singing in Irish in defence of their language and protesting British rule in Northern Ireland.
Their high-energy gigs, prolific drug-taking and the violent undercurrent of Belfast life were captured in Peppiatt's film Kneecap, which premiered at the Sundance film festival in 2024 to rave reviews.
The dark comedy, music and occasional surrealist digression means it has been frequently compared to 1996 hit Trainspotting, which Peppiatt mentions as an influence.
Drawing an estimated six million people to cinemas worldwide on a budget of just £3 million ($4 million), it was a debut hit for the London-born director.
"You certainly don't make a film about an Irish-language rap band no one's heard of, and who have never released an album, thinking it's going to be a hit," Peppiatt, who recently obtained Irish nationality through his wife, told AFP.
But he says it tapped into larger themes that people identify with, from the loss of local languages to the struggle in many countries against colonial-era influences.
"One useful thing about British colonialism is that when you've taken over a third of the world, if you make a film 50 or 100 years later, and it's all about 'f*** the British', you find an audience for it," he joked.
As for the question of whether his film created Kneecap the band, or whether the band made his film, he said it was a bit of both.
"I felt that they were going to break through. Obviously the film's accelerated that," he said.
Kneecap the film will hit screens in France and South Korea on Wednesday in the final stages of its international release.
Palestinian cause
Kneecap's support for the Palestinian cause and their denunciation of Israel's devastating war in Gaza, Peppiatt said, was in line with Irish public opinion.
"There's always been a very close connection between the Irish cause and the Palestinian cause," he said. "Where they're from in West Belfast, there are as many Irish flags as there are Palestinian flags."
But critics see the group as going too far and accuse them of embracing violent extremists.
One video of a gig appears to show a band member shouting "Up Hamas, up Hezbollah".
Another from a 2023 performance, which was also assessed by British police, appears to show one of them urging fans to kill British lawmakers, leading to a public apology to the families of murdered MPs.
Kneecap have called on fans to show up outside court on Wednesday in support of Chara and have labelled his prosecution "political policing".
Peppiatt told AFP he did not always agree with the way the group expressed themselves.
"Where they slipped up for me at Coachella was saying 'f*** Israel', that's a very broad statement to make that incorporated a lot of people who don't believe in what's happening there (in Gaza)," he said.
"When you're friends with people you're allowed to disagree, and I do disagree with them on some things."

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Express Tribune

9 hours ago

• Express Tribune

Going loco for Labubu

The viral dolls are said to be quirky, ugly, and inclusive. Photo: AFP Small, fuzzy and baring sharp teeth, Chinese toymaker Pop Mart's Labubu monster dolls have taken over the world, drawing excited crowds at international stores and adorning the handbags of celebrities such as Rihanna and Cher. Beijing-based Pop Mart is part of a rising tide of Chinese cultural exports gaining traction abroad, furry ambassadors of a "cool" China even in places associated more with negative public opinion of Beijing such as Europe and North America. Labubus, which typically sell for around $40, are released in limited quantities and sold in "blind boxes", meaning buyers don't know the exact model they will receive. The dolls are "a bit quirky and ugly and very inclusive, so people can relate", interior designer Lucy Shitova told AFP at a Pop Mart store in London, where in-person sales of Labubus have been suspended over fears that fans could turn violent in their quest for the toys. "Now everything goes viral... because of social media. And yes, it's cool. It's different." While neighbouring East Asian countries South Korea and Japan are globally recognised for their high-end fashion, cinema and pop songs, China's heavily censored film and music industry have struggled to attract international audiences, and the country's best-known clothing exporter is fast-fashion website Shein. There have been few success stories of Chinese companies selling upmarket goods under their own brands, faced with stereotypes of cheap and low-quality products. "It has been hard for the world's consumers to perceive China as a brand-creating nation," the University of Maryland's Fan Yang told AFP. Pop Mart has bucked the trend, spawning copycats dubbed by social media users as "lafufus" and detailed YouTube videos on how to verify a doll's authenticity. Brands such as designer womenswear label Shushu/Tong, Shanghai-based Marchen and Beijing-based handbag maker Songmont have also gained recognition abroad over the past few years. "It might just be a matter of time before even more Chinese brands become globally recognisable," Yang said. TikTok effect Through viral exports like Labubu, China is "undergoing a soft-power shift where its products and image are increasingly cool among young Westerners," said Allison Malmsten, an analyst at China-based Daxue Consulting. Malmsten said she believed social media could boost China's global image "similar to that of Japan in the 80s to 2010s with Pokemon and Nintendo". Video app TikTok — designed by China's ByteDance — paved the way for Labubu's ascent when it became the first Chinese-branded product to be indispensable for young people internationally. Joshua Kurlantzick from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) told AFP that "TikTok probably played a role in changing consumers' minds about China". TikTok, which is officially blocked within China but still accessible with VPN software, has over one billion users, including what the company says is nearly half of the US population. The app has become a focus of national security fears in the United States, with a proposed ban seeing American TikTok users flock to another Chinese app, Rednote, where they were welcomed as digital "refugees". A conduit for Chinese social media memes and fashion trends, TikTok hosts over 1.7 million videos about Labubu. Labubumania Cultural exports can "improve the image of China as a place that has companies that can produce globally attractive goods or services", CFR's Kurlantzick told AFP. "I don't know how much, if at all, this impacts images of China's state or government," he said, pointing to how South Korea's undeniable soft power has not translated into similar levels of political might. While plush toys alone might not translate into actual power, the United States' chaotic global image under the Trump presidency could benefit perceptions of China, the University of Maryland's Yang said. "The connection many make between the seeming decline of US soft power and the potential rise in China's global image may reflect how deeply intertwined the two countries are in the minds of people whose lives are impacted by both simultaneously," she told AFP. At the very least, Labubu's charms appear to be promoting interest in China among the younger generation. "It's like a virus. Everyone just wants it," Kazakhstani mother-of-three Anelya Batalova told AFP at Pop Mart's theme park in Beijing. Qatari Maryam Hammadi, 11, posed for photos in front of a giant Labubu statue. "In our country, they love Labubu," she said. "So, when they realise that the origin of Labubu is in China, they'd like to come to see the different types of Labubu in China."

Express Tribune

a day ago

• Express Tribune

Gigi Hadid's daughter Khai's breakfast sparks debate as fans question cultural roots

Gigi Hadid's latest Instagram post has unintentionally stirred controversy after fans noticed a small detail in her daughter's breakfast menu. The supermodel, who shares 3-year-old daughter Khai with singer Zayn Malik, included a handwritten list of meals in a wholesome photo carousel — one that listed 'bacon' among the items. Slide 9 of the post, meant to showcase the peaceful rhythm of countryside living, triggered an online debate. Users quickly zoomed in on the word 'bacon,' with one asking, 'Aren't you Muslim?' The comment section soon filled with mixed reactions, with others chiming in with, 'Did I see bacon??' and 'Seriously, Gigi?' Hadid, whose father Mohamed Hadid is Palestinian and Muslim and mother Yolanda Hadid is Dutch and Christian, has spoken before about her multicultural upbringing. The family celebrated both Eid and Christmas, and while Gigi remains relatively private about her faith, her sister Bella has been more vocal, previously stating, 'I am proud to be a Muslim.' Zayn Malik, Khai's father, is of British Pakistani Muslim heritage, which further amplified expectations about traditional dietary practices. However, the 'bacon' mentioned could refer to pork, turkey, or a plant-based option — something Gigi has not clarified. Despite the speculation, the post remains online. Fans also praised Hadid's parenting, highlighting the balanced and joyful meals she provides compared to her own upbringing under Yolanda's strict dietary rules.

Express Tribune

2 days ago

• Express Tribune

Rod Stewart criticizes Israel's Gaza offensive and ends friendship with Trump over Israel arms support

In a recent interview with Radio Times, British music icon Rod Stewart condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's military actions in Gaza, stating that they amount to efforts to 'annihilate' the Palestinian people. 'What Netanyahu is doing to the Palestinians is exactly what happened to the Jews,' Stewart said. 'It's annihilation, and that's all he wants to do — get rid of them all. I don't know how they sleep at night.' His comments come amid heightened international scrutiny of Israel's operations in the Gaza Strip, as well as continued debate surrounding arms sales and foreign policy in the United States. Stewart's remarks also signal a rupture in his longtime friendship with former U.S. President Donald Trump. The 80-year-old singer explained that Trump's unwavering support for Israel has caused a personal rift. 'No, I can't anymore,' Stewart said of maintaining their relationship. 'As long as he's selling arms to the Israelis — and he still is. How's that war ever gonna stop?' Stewart and Trump had been neighbors for years in Palm Beach, Florida, frequently attending social events together. 'We're both on the beach. I used to go to his Christmas parties,' Stewart recalled. 'He's always been a bit of a man's man. I liked him for that. But he didn't, as far as I'm concerned, treat women very well… Since he became president, he became another guy. Somebody I didn't know.' As political tensions continue to rise in the Middle East, Stewart's remarks add a high-profile celebrity voice to the growing global debate over the humanitarian cost of the conflict and U.S. policy in the region.