What did Johnny Marr say about Kneecap? Former Smiths guitarist defends the Irish band amid calls for their Glastonbury censorship
Johnny Marr recently supported Kneecap on social media, following demands for the band not to be allowed to play at the popular festival Glastonbury. Notably, the group has been creating headlines for different reasons, including member Mo Chara’s support towards militant organizations, as per Billboard.
On June 16, 2025, Johnny Marr posted a statement through his official social media handles, writing that he has been hearing about demands being made for Kneecap’s censorship at the festival.
The Smiths guitarist wrote that he has respect for any musician who doesn’t have a fear of speaking against injustice. He addressed the same by writing:
“Oppression fears artistic expression. I respect all musicians who use their platform to speak out against injustice, who promote compassion and equality and give voice to the voiceless. I stand with my audience and fellow musicians who call for an immediate end to the atrocities and a free Palestine.”
Apart from that, Johnny opened up on his experience of playing at the festival and wrote,
“I’ve played Glastonbury many times and the festival has always had a political aspect. It was founded as a place of free expression and political activism and it’s a fact that I agreed to play there with The Smiths in 1984 purely because to do so at the time was a political act.”
Johnny added that he has never hesitated to be open about his political views throughout his career and that anyone who has been following him is well aware of the same.
BBC confirmed last month that Kneecap will be performing at the event
Kneecap was trending in May this year after Mo Chara was charged for reportedly displaying a flag during a performance at the London-based O2, showing his support towards an organization called Hezbollah. According to BBC News, the incident happened in November last year, and a terror offence was imposed on Mo Chara.
The musician’s legal issue began after a viral video at the O2, prompting quick action from London police. Mo Chara, also known as Liam O'Hanna, is set to appear in court on June 18, 2025.
Despite calls to cancel Kneecap’s Glastonbury performance due to the case, the BBC told iPaper last month that the Irish hip-hop group will still perform as planned.
A spokesperson for the broadcaster said in a statement that the artists have already been finalized by the organizers, and they are bringing people for “extensive music coverage” at the festival. The spokesperson continued by saying,
“Whilst the BBC doesn’t ban artists, our plans will ensure that our programming will meet our editorial guidelines. Decisions about our broadcast output will be made in the lead up to the festival.”
Although BBC confirmed the group’s appearance at the festival, their performance at the TRNSMT festival in the upcoming month was canceled shortly after Mo Chara was charged.
According to Billboard, the decision was taken due to safety concerns, with the Scotland Police Department saying that a “significant policing operation” was needed to control the crowd that would come to watch Kneecap’s performance. However, the police did not confirm anything on whether the decision was taken due to Mo Chara’s legal problem.
Kneecap has released two albums under the record label Heavenly, including 3CAG and Fine Art. The latter was released in June last year.
