On November 9th, Irish hip-hop group Kneecap is coming to Stockholm for a gig at BK in Frihamnen, which DN previously reported on.
Kneecap previously attracted attention when one of the band members, Mo’Chara, was charged with terrorism offenses in the UK last year. During a concert in London in 2024, he reportedly displayed a Hezbollah flag and shouted “Up Hamas! Up Hezbollah!” from the stage. Mo’Chara pleaded not guilty and the charges were dismissed because the statute of limitations had expired.
Christofer Fjellner, group leader of the Moderates in Stockholm, considers the booking to be provocative.
– There is no place in my Stockholm for people who praise terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah. But I least think that such things should be allowed to happen in buildings in the city of Stockholm, he says.
Does it make a difference to you that this member was never convicted?
– The reason he was not convicted was not because it was not a crime in Britain, but because the crime was time-barred. But in my opinion, paying homage to terrorist organizations doesn’t belong in Stockholm at all.
Earlier this year, deathcore band Slaughter to Prev played at BK’s premises. Even back then, Christofer Fjellner (M) expressed criticism of the booking. In his opinion, both bookings violate the city’s democratic criteria when renting out its premises.
– There is a recurring problem with complacency on the part of those in power, he says.
Is it the job of politicians to decide who is allowed to play and who is not?
– No. For me it is self-evident that culture should sometimes be able to provoke and push boundaries within the limits of the law. But it’s one thing if you do it in society as a whole, but we have to make special demands on what we do in the Stockholm premises.
In the summer of 2025 the group was booked for Way out west in Gothenburg. This appearance was already preceded by harsh criticism from politicians. The Jewish Central Council demanded that the performance be canceled.
Dagens Nyheter is looking for Luger and the Social Democrats in Stockholm.
Read more:
Kneecap: “The real story is what is happening in Palestine”
