Hungarian authorities have banned the rap group Kneecap from entering the country for the Sziget Festival, citing antisemitic hate speech and support for Hamas and Hezbollah. Government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs announced that immigration authorities issued a three-year ban due to national security concerns. Previously, Kneecap member Mo Chara faced terrorism charges for displaying a Hezbollah flag, which he denies. Despite protests and calls to remove the band, Sziget organizers have resisted the government's request, maintaining an inclusive stance against hatred and prejudice at the festival.
"Hungary's government has moved to ban Kneecap from entering the country and performing at Sziget ... citing antisemitic hate speech and open praise for Hamas and Hezbollah as justification," government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs wrote in a post on X.
Kovacs later posted the official letters from immigration authorities banning the band for three years, claiming that their entry would "seriously threaten national security".
The band has said previously that its members do not support Hamas or Hezbollah, and that it condemns "all attacks on civilians, always".
Sziget organisers, who said they had not been notified of the government's decision, have resisted the calls to scrap Kneecap's planned performance on August 11.
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