The Hungarian government's spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs writes on X on Thursday that the Hungarian government has decided to ban Kneecap from entering the country and performing at the festival – and refers to anti-Semitic hate propaganda.
"Giving them a stage normalizes hate and terror, and puts democratic values at stake", continues Kovacs in his post.
One of the members of Way Out West-act Kneecap, Mo Chara, is charged with a crime against British terror laws as he is suspected of having waved a Hizbollah flag during a concert. He will appear in court in August. However, the police investigation into Kneecap's concert at the music festival Glastonbury has been dropped.
The entry ban can be appealed within 30 days.
Hungary is considered one of Israel's closest allies in the EU and has, among other things, ordered the police to ban pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Kneecap is booked to play at Way Out West in Gothenburg in August. The booking has caused protests, including from the Jewish Central Council which has demanded that the group be cancelled. In an email to Aftonbladet, however, the festival writes that Kneecap is still scheduled to perform.
