Coachella Gave Terror a Stage

Do you see the image in this op-ed? Yes, that happened at Coachella on April 18, 2025. Coachella, the music festival celebrated worldwide as a haven for creativity, expression, and peace. A place where art was supposed to unite, not divide. A place where love was meant to echo louder than hate.

But tell me, how is it possible that a stage meant for music became a platform for glorifying groups that openly and proudly murder Jews?

Now people are acting shocked. “No way! How could this Irish hip-hop trio, Kneecap, do that? They’re not terror supporters! We had no idea!”

Really? Are you serious?

Let me break it down: Kneecap has a history of this. Let’s go back to October 8, 2023, the day after the October 7 Hamas massacre. What did Kneecap post? “Solidarity with the Palestinian struggle.” No condemnation of terror. No sympathy for the murdered. Just a celebration of the same narrative that justifies Jewish death. Exactly one year later, on October 8, 2024, they did it again, this time sharing a video of a U.S. Marine refusing to condemn Hamas. They praised that as “the right answer.” In November 2024, during a concert in London, they waved Hezbollah flags and led the crowd in chants of “Ooh ahh Hezbollah.” Yes, that Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terrorist group responsible for killing thousands and calling for the destruction of Israel. And in February 2025, they proudly posted a photo of one member reading “Voice of Hezbollah: The Statements of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.” You don’t do that by accident. That’s not satire. That’s not performance art. That’s a statement. And it’s a dangerous one.

Goldenvoice, Coachella’s organizer, was warned. Jewish organizations flagged Kneecap’s extremism well before the lineup was announced. This wasn’t a surprise. It was a choice. And here’s the truth: Artists are free to speak. But festivals are free to draw a line. Coachella failed that test. It didn’t just stay silent; it handed the microphone to hate. It gave a global platform to those who glorify terrorism and target the Jewish people.

The cost of apathy is the dignity of your audience.

Kneecap’s music may fade. Their slogans might stop trending. But the memory of October 7 and the sickening sound of people cheering for those who caused it will not.

If you wave the flag of a terrorist organization, you are not a freedom fighter. You are a foot soldier of hate. And if you cheer them on, you are not progressive. You are part of the problem.