A Welsh woman is being hailed as a "legend" online after she livestreamed Irish rap group Kneecap's Glastonbury performance to thousands, defying what she called a "deliberate act of silence" by the BBC, which chose not to air the politically charged set live.
Kneecap, a Belfast-based rap trio known for blending Irish language lyrics with hard-hitting political commentary, performed at Glastonbury on Saturday, but the BBC opted not to broadcast the set in real-time, according to the Irish News.
The decision came in light of heightened scrutiny of the group, including terrorism charges facing member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, known as Mo Chara, for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag at a London show last year. Óg Ó hAnnaidh has since denied the charge and has a court date scheduled for August 20.
Frustrated by the BBC's delay and what she viewed as censorship, Helen Wilson of Swansea launched a TikTok livestream under her account @helensmashinglife while working the festival with the waste management team Critical Waste. Her stream of Kneecap's set quickly drew thousands of live viewers, despite her phone overheating in the 27°C heat, and has since reached millions more as the video spread across platforms.
@helensmashinglife Kneecap! Live at Glastonbury Festival, West Holts, Saturday, June 28. Filmed in one go, no editing.. #tiktoklive #livehighlights #freepalestine #kneecap @KNEECAP #peace #vivalapalestina #fyp #viralvideos
♬ original sound - helenwilsonwales
The band publicly thanked Wilson, calling her a "legend" and offering her free tickets to future shows. Wilson, in turn, emphasized the deeper stakes behind her decision, expressing that this was about more than a music performance.
"This is about the genocide in Palestine – this is not even about this festival," she said. "This is about this wide issue that everybody needs to sit up and take notice of ... I don't agree with artists being silenced – when institutions avoid politically outspoken artists, I think that it's up to us, the fans, to make sure their voices are still heard."
Though the BBC eventually uploaded the set to iPlayer, critics see the delay as part of a broader reluctance to platform politically outspoken voices.
Originally published on Music Times
