During the annual Rolling Stone UK Awards held over the weekend, Carlos O’Connell, guitarist of the Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C., criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while accepting the Album of the Year award for the band's latest record, Romance.
Taking the stage, O’Connell voiced pro-Palestinian sentiments in his remarks. “What a night,” he said. “I don’t know, I just think there’s only a couple of words to say here. It’s kind of weird, it’s the first time it’s been said all night but I’m just going to say: free Palestine. Free Palestine, free Palestine. F**k Netanyahu and f**k Zionism. Free Palestine.” The audience responded with loud applause.
1 View gallery
Fontaines D.C. guitarist Carlos O’Connell at Rolling Stone UK awards ceremony
(Photo: Screengrab)
The band has previously expressed solidarity with Palestinians. In August, the band canceled a scheduled performance in Istanbul in response to a call from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
The group cited concerns over the venue’s parent company, Zorlu, which BDS claims supplies energy to Israel “while it carries out what the International Court of Justice now agrees is plausibly a genocide.”
At the time, the band issued a statement saying, “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 message continues, with the band pledging full refunds to ticket-holders. “We promise to play in Turkey as soon as we can make it possible.”