Latest news with #FreePalestine
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
CMAT shouts ‘Free Palestine' and wades into Glastonbury crowd during lively set
Irish singer CMAT chanted 'Free Palestine' and waded into the Pyramid Stage crowd, who were dancing in the midday heat, during her Glastonbury Festival set. The musician, real name Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, 29, played songs from her back catalogue as well as new singles, including Take A Sexy Picture Of Me, from her forthcoming third studio album Euro-Country. Plenty of festivalgoers could be seen doing the viral dance to the song, which has taken social media by storm in recent months. Kicking off her set with Have Fun! the singer, who wore an all-purple ensemble with white boots, sang while lying flat on the floor before getting to her feet and shouting: 'Glasto!' The musician, who blends pop and rock with folk and country influences, performed from her back catalogue, receiving rapturous applause while singing hits including I Don't Really Care For You. The singer also encouraged fans to dance along to the 'Dunboyne County Meath two-step' while singing I Wanna Be A Cowboy, Baby! 'I think we might be about to break a personal record for the very sexy CMAT band,' she told crowds. 'We've never attempted it (the dance) with this many people so I'm a little scared,' the singer added. Introducing herself, she told crowds: 'My name is CMAT and I'm literally just a young one from Dunboyne/Dublin, depending who you ask.' 'This is the scariest moment of my life but it will probably singlehandedly be the best and most amazing thing I'll ever do,' she added. Towards the end of her set, she waded into the crowd to sing her popular song Stay For Something and chanted 'Free Palestine' in reference to the ongoing war in Gaza. CMAT released her debut album, If My Wife New I'd Be Dead, in 2022, and followed it up with Mercury Prize-nominated Crazymad, For Me in 2023. Her third studio album is set for release on August 29.
The Journal
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Journal
'She has it all': CMAT's 'spectacular' Glastonbury set has the energy of a headliner, say rave reviews
CMAT'S GLASTONBURY PERFORMANCE is set to catapult her career into another universe, according to rave reviews from critics of the festival. The 29-year-old musician, whose real name is Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, played songs from her back catalogue as well as new singles, including Take A Sexy Picture Of Me, from her forthcoming third studio album Euro-Country. Plenty of festivalgoers could be seen doing the viral dance to the song, which has taken social media by storm in recent months. The energetic singer chanted 'Free Palestine' and waded into the Pyramid Stage crowd, who were dancing in the midday heat, during her Glastonbury Festival set today. CMAT began her performance by pretending to faint before singing the first verse of Have Fun Alamy Alamy The Guardian described her as a 'spectacularly brilliant' performer , speculating that this show could pave the way for an even bigger surge in her popularity. There was a 'rapturous reaction' to her set. 'When she successfully encourages the audience to engage in synchronised dance moves to I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby!, she looks quite startled at what a crowd this size enthusiastically dancing in unison looks like,' The Guardian writes. 'It's all incredibly engaging and preposterously good fun. It really doesn't seem inconceivable that she could be headlining the next time she returns. Advertisement Alamy Alamy Introducing herself, she told crowds: 'My name is CMAT and I'm literally just a young one from Dunboyne/Dublin, depending who you ask.' 'This is the scariest moment of my life but it will probably singlehandedly be the best and most amazing thing I'll ever do,' she added. The Rolling Stones said CMAT 'has it all' and will be one of the defining artists of 2025. 'Her songs are catchy, poignant and well-crafted; on stage, she's a powerhouse of performance, cracking gags and diving into the crowd, but not forgetting to make her final statement a call for a free Palestine. 'It's rare that a standout set, unlikely to be beaten for the whole weekend, arrives so early on the Friday afternoon at Worthy Farm, but the Irish singer is on a roll of stunning momentum right now.' Alamy Alamy The Independent called it a 'note-perfect, high camp' set , which will 'be a launch pad for the next chapter of her career'. 'Her crooning and thick scooping vocals cut through the air like a machete, and that larger-than-life presence has a majestic quality to it, emphasised by the impression you get that she absolutely loves what she does. 'By the time she's screaming the final bars of Running/Planning from the floor, splashing a can of water over and flicking it around while headbanging like she's in a Celine Dion video, there's no doubt that we've witnessed someone who has squeezed every last drop of potential from this opportunity.' CMAT released her debut album, If My Wife New I'd Be Dead, in 2022, and followed it up with Mercury Prize-nominated Crazymad, For Me in 2023. Her third studio album is set for release on August 29. With reporting by PA Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
New York Post
8 hours ago
- New York Post
Accused Colorado firebomber pleads not guilty to hate crimes at demonstration for Israeli hostages
A man accused of hurling Molotov cocktails at a group of people who were demonstrating in Boulder, Colorado, in support of Israeli hostages pleaded not guilty Friday to federal hate crime charges. Mohamed Sabry Soliman was indicted earlier this week on 12 hate crime counts in the June 1 attack. He is accused of trying to kill eight people who were hurt by the Molotov cocktails and others who were nearby. Soliman's attorney, David Kraut, entered the not guilty plea on Soliman's behalf during a quick hearing. 3 In this booking photo released on June 2, 2025, by the Boulder Police Department, Mohamed Sabry Soliman is seen at the Boulder County Jail on June 1, 2025, in Boulder, Colorado. Boulder County Sheriff's Office/AFP via Getty Images Magistrate Judge Kathryn Starnella noted that lawyers had acknowledged that a plea agreement in the case was possible later. Soliman, wearing a khaki jail uniform, entered the courtroom smiling and holding an envelope in his handcuffed hands. His right hand and arm were wrapped in a thick bandage as they were when he appeared in court last week, when an investigator testified that Soliman had burned himself as he threw the second of two Molotov cocktails at the group. He listened to a translation of the hearing provided by an Arabic interpreter through headphones. He did not speak during the hearing. Investigators say Soliman told them he intended to kill the roughly 20 participants at the weekly demonstration on Boulder's Pearl Street pedestrian mall. But he threw just two of his over two dozen Molotov cocktails while yelling 'Free Palestine.' 3 Investigators say Soliman told them he intended to kill the roughly 20 participants at the demonstration. Soliman, who is also being prosecuted in state court for attempted murder and other charges, told investigators he tried to buy a gun but was not able to because he was not a 'legal citizen.' He posed as a gardener, wearing a construction vest, to get close to the group before launching the attack, according to court documents. He was also indicted for using fire and an explosive to attack the group and for carrying an explosive, which were included in the hate crime counts. Federal authorities say Soliman, an Egyptian national, has been living in the U.S. illegally with his family. 3 Soliman posed as a gardener, wearing a construction vest, to get close to the group before launching the attack, according to court documents. CBS News Soliman is being represented in state and federal court by public defenders who do not comment on their cases to the media. Prosecutors say the victims were targeted because of their perceived or actual national origin. At a hearing last week, Kraut, Soliman's defense attorney, urged Starnella not to allow the case to move forward. Kraut said the alleged attack was not a hate crime. He said it was motivated by opposition to Zionism, the movement to establish and sustain a Jewish state in Israel. An attack motivated by someone's political views is not considered a hate crime under federal law.
Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Kneecap slams they have 'enough s***' to worry about amid flag fallout
Kneecap have opened up on their thoughts about their controversial actions ahead of their upcoming Glastonbury set this weekend Irish rap trio Kneecap have hit out at the reaction to bandmember Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig last year. The musician appeared in court earlier this month, after being charged, with the band's scheduled appearance at Glastonbury put in doubt at the time. There were even calls from the Prime Minister for them to be booted off. However, with the set ready to still go ahead, the band have furiously hit out at the reaction to their actions. Kneecap, which is also made up of Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, will still perform on the West Holts Stage on Saturday, and said they have "enough s*** to worry about" when it comes to the fallout from their actions. In a chat with the Guardian, Ó hAnnaidh was asked if he regretted the moment. However, he insisted it was a joke and he portrays a character. "S*** is thrown on stage all the time," he said. "If I'm supposed to know every f***ing thing that's thrown on stage [including the Hezbollah flag] I'd be in Mensa, Jesus Christ." He went on: "I don't know every proscribed organisation – I've got enough s*** to worry about up there. I'm thinking about my next lyric, my next joke, the next drop of a beat." And he also asked why he should regret his "dead Tory" comments. "It was a joke," he defiantly said. "we're playing characters, it's satirical, it's a f***ing joke." He went on to say the video "wasn't an issue" until the band's "Free Palestine" comment at Coachella. "The point is, and the context is, it all [resurfaced] because of Coachella. That's what we should be questioning, not whether I regret things," he said. In May, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who uses the stage name Mo Chara, was charged over the alleged display of a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London last November. The band have strongly denied the charges brought against the star and released a statement to insist they will "vehemently defend" themselves against what they claimed was "political policing". The court heard the 27-year-old is "well within his rights" to voice his opinions on Israel and Palestine, but the alleged incident is a "wholly different thing". At the hearing, Prosecutor Michael Bisgrove said: "Of course, support for the one is not the same as support for the other. "So the issue in this case, and the reason it has come to court, it centres on the apparent support by Mr Óg Ó hAnnaidh of a proscribed terrorist organisation." Óg Ó hAnnaidh was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing at the same court on August 20. His release has allowed the band to play their controversial Glastonbury set. However, it's not thought that the set will be broadcast live on the BBC.
Los Angeles Times
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Man pleads not guilty to hate crimes in attack on Colorado demonstration for Israeli hostages
DENVER — A man accused of hurling Molotov cocktails at a group of people who were demonstrating in Boulder, Colorado, in support of Israeli hostages pleaded not guilty Friday to federal hate crime charges. Mohamed Sabry Soliman was indicted earlier this week on 12 hate crime counts in the June 1 attack. He is accused of trying to kill eight people who were hurt by the Molotov cocktails and others who were nearby. Investigators say Soliman told them he intended to kill the roughly 20 participants at the weekly demonstration on Boulder's Pearl Street pedestrian mall. But he threw just two of his over two dozen Molotov cocktails while yelling 'Free Palestine.' Soliman, who is also being prosecuted in state court for attempted murder and other charges, told investigators he tried to buy a gun but was not able to because he was not a 'legal citizen.' He posed as a gardener, wearing a construction vest, to get close to the group before launching the attack, according to court documents. He was also indicted for having explosives, which was included in the hate crime counts. Federal authorities say Soliman, an Egyptian national, has been living in the U.S. illegally with his family. Soliman is being represented in state and federal court by public defenders who do not comment on their cases to the media. Prosecutors say the victims were targeted because of their perceived or actual national origin. At a hearing last week, Soliman's defense attorney, David Kraut, urged Magistrate Judge Kathryn Starnella not to allow the case to move forward. Kraut said the alleged attack was not a hate crime. He said it was motivated by Soliman's opposition to Zionism, the movement to establish and sustain a Jewish state in Israel. An attack motivated by someone's political views is not considered a hate crime under federal law. Slevin writes for the Associated Press.
