Kneecap speak out on Gaza war during Polish festival set

Irish hip-hop group Kneecap used their performance at OFF Festival in Poland on 1 August 2025 to deliver a message of solidarity with Palestinians, condemning the genocide in Gaza.

Between songs, a member of the group addressed the crowd, acknowledging the contrast between performing music and speaking about such a serious issue. He said the war in Gaza did not begin on 7 October, and drew parallels between what is happening in Palestine and Ireland’s own colonial past under British rule.

The band described how, at the start of the war, Palestinians were being bombed from the air. Now, they said, people are being shot while collecting aid and starved to death. They praised young people in Ireland, Poland and around the world for recognising what is happening and refusing to stay silent, vowing to continue using their platform to speak out.

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