Another Irish band airs pro-Palestinian message at festival: ‘Israel is committing genocide’
Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C. has shown support for Palestinians on multiple occasions
Fontaines D.C. at the Primavera Sound music festival in Barcelona Saturday night. (Screenshot)
(JTA) — The Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C. projected the all-caps message “Israel is committing genocide” on stage at the Primavera Sound music festival in Barcelona Saturday night.
The display, which also included a large image of a Palestinian flag as well as the message “use your voice,” was met with resounding applause and cheers from the tens of thousands of fans gathered at one of Europe’s largest music festivals.
Many in Ireland are staunchly pro-Palestinian, a solidarity rooted in their perception of a shared history of colonization. Saturday’s performance saw Fontaines D.C. join the vanguard of Irish musicians who have openly criticized Israel at major music festivals.
In April, the Irish rap group Kneecap displayed the message “F–k Israel Free Palestine” at the Coachella music festival in Los Angeles.
Last month, Fontaines D.C. joined over 100 musical artists in signing a letter of support for Kneecap as the band faced gig cancellations after videos surfaced showing a band member voicing support for Hamas and Hezbollah.
One Kneecap band member has since been charged with a terrorism offense by London police for allegedly wearing a Hezbollah flag at a concert in November 2024.
Saturday’s Primavera Sound performance was not the first time that Fontaines D.C. voiced support for Palestinians.
In June 2024, the band won $2,000 dollars in a viral TikTok music competition and announced that it would donate their prize to Doctors Without Borders “for Palestine.”
And in December, the band collaborated with a Dublin soccer team to create a new jersey to raise money for Medical Aid for Palestinians, a British charity that offers medical services in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon. It features the Palestinian flag along with the words “Saoirse don Phalaistín,” or “Freedom for Palestine” in the Irish language.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg wore the jersey in a video on board a ship carrying aid to Gaza which was intercepted Monday by the Israeli navy.
The same month, at the 2024 Rolling Stone UK Awards, Fontaines D.C. guitarist Carlos O’Connell used his acceptance speech for best album to say “F–k Netanyahu. F–k Zionism.”
“I don’t know, I just think there’s only a couple of words to say here,” O’Connell said. “It’s kind of weird that this is the first time it’s been said all night, but I’m just gonna say it: Free Palestine. Free Palestine. Free Palestine. F—k Netanyahu. F—K Zionism. Free Palestine.”
Last May, O’Connell read aloud a letter from a Palestinian in Gaza on the Instagram page Voices for Gaza, which posts videos of celebrities reading first-person testimonies by Palestinians.
And in August, the band canceled a concert in Istanbul to pressure the company that owns the planned venue, Zorlu Holding, to divest from Israel.
“We were really looking forward to visiting and playing Istanbul, however in this instance, we must be clear in our convictions and put solidarity with the people of Palestine first,” the band said in a statement.
Last year, the Turkish government completely shut down trade between Turkey and Israel. Zorlu Energy, a subsidiary of Zorlu Holding, announced in March that it was selling its stake in an Israeli power plant, Dorad Energy.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
