Massive Attack Defends Kneecap: Gaza, Not the Band, Is the Real Story

In the firestorm following Kneecap’s political protest at Coachella 2025, iconic UK band Massive Attack has spoken out in defense of the Belfast hip-hop group, urging the media and public to refocus attention on what truly matters: the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

Massive Attack’s statement, shared on April 30 via Instagram, criticized the disproportionate condemnation directed at Kneecap while the international community remains largely silent on the deaths of thousands of Palestinian civilians. “Kneecap are not the story,” the band wrote. “Gaza is the story. Genocide is the story.”

Kneecap’s set at Coachella projected bold messages denouncing Israeli actions in Gaza and U.S. complicity. The fallout was swift: UK counter-terror police launched investigations, politicians called for festival bans, and the band lost a major booking agent. Yet, Kneecap maintains they reject all violence and have clarified past controversial statements.

Massive Attack, long-time advocates for Palestinian rights, condemned the weaponization of out-of-context footage and questioned the moral authority of politicians who remain silent on the bombing of aid workers and children. Their statement underscored a greater concern: the silencing of artists who dare to speak truth to power.

The controversy has become a test of artistic freedom. As calls grow to deplatform Kneecap, Massive Attack, Fontaines D.C., Pulp, and others have rallied in support, urging the music industry to stand against political censorship.

Massive Attack’s message is clear: free speech in art must be protected, especially when it confronts uncomfortable truths. The backlash to Kneecap, they argue, is a distraction—a deliberate attempt to divert attention from war crimes.

In a cultural moment defined by polarization, Massive Attack’s stand is not just solidarity—it’s a warning against the cost of silence.