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.
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