Kneecap: UK and Irish governments condemn alleged feedback

The UK authorities has condemned alleged feedback made by rap group Kneecap as “utterly unacceptable” and advised they shouldn’t be capable of obtain authorities funding.

Conservative chief Kemi Badenoch blocked a authorities grant to the bilingual Belfast group whereas she was enterprise secretary, however the choice was overturned.

Video footage has emerged of the group at a live performance in November 2023, the place one of many band members seems to say: “The one good Tory is a useless Tory. Kill your native MP”.

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated he didn’t assume “people expressing these views ought to be receiving authorities funding”.

Kneecap have stated on social media that they’ve “confronted a co-ordinated smear marketing campaign”.

The footage is being assessed by counter-terrorism police and Badenoch has referred to as for prosecution.

The Metropolitan Police stated they’re assessing that and one other video, from November final 12 months, the place the footage appeared to point out a band member shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” at a efficiency in London.

The Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micháel Martin referred to as on the trio to “urgently make clear” the feedback.

Each Hamas and Hezbollah are banned within the UK and it’s a crime to specific help for them.

Not one of the members of Kneecap has been charged with any offences.

In Dublin on Monday the taoiseach stated: “Have they, or do they, help Hamas and Hezbollah, as a result of that will be unacceptable.

“I imply Hezbollah are accountable, for my part, for the homicide of Sean Rooney.

“And each Hamas and Hezbollah have views which can be completely… not simply views, however participated in terrorist actions and appalling killing of harmless folks, as witnessed on October the seventh.

“But it surely’s not clear to me that they do, that Kneecap does help Hezbollah and Hamas. It has been asserted that they’ve made commentary in help of each. I feel they should urgently make clear that.”

He stated there was a “enormous accountability” on the subject of the security of public representatives.

“I feel it is necessary that free speech is at all times facilitated and the capability to talk out and criticise and condemn insurance policies of others. That is all reputable. However when it comes to life and safety and security of individuals, that is a special difficulty,” he added.

Final 12 months, Kneecap gained a discrimination case towards the UK authorities after Badenoch withdrew arts funding for the band, in a transfer which was deemed “illegal”.

Kneecap was awarded £14,250 – the identical quantity they have been initially granted.

Badenoch, talking on an area election campaigning go to to Lincolnshire, stated the assertion was “disgusting “and the band “ought to be prosecuted” and that “individuals are in jail for sending tweets that do not go that far”.

She stated they “shouldn’t be glorifying terrorism” and are “anti-British”.

Northern Eire’s Economic system Minister Caoimhe Archibald informed BBC Information NI that she didn’t agree with what was stated, however that Kneecap is “group which were very vocal on points which can be necessary to them like Gaza”.

“I feel probably the most outrageous difficulty dealing with the world in the present day is the continuing genocide that we’re seeing in Palestine and the bombardment that continues each day, the blockading of assist, the slaughter of harmless girls and kids and I feel that is what our focus ought to be on as a world group in bringing an finish to that,” she added.

DUP chief Gavin Robinson stated Kneecap had turn into a “hatefest”.

The East Belfast MP stated the band’s place was “appalling and outrageous” and stated there was a collective political will in London and Dublin to “name out” their feedback.

“These gents do not have to be on a stage they have to be in a courtroom as a result of it’s a hate crime what they’re doing,” he added.

The Alliance MLA, Sian Mulholland, stated that Kneecap’s alleged feedback “crosses a line from artwork as a software of protest and into incitement”.

She described the rap group’s political opinions on the battle in Gaza as “legitimate” nonetheless, Mulholland stated the band’s views have been being “undermined and overshadowed” by the group’s actions.

The First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney, has backed requires Kneecap to be axed from Glasgow’s TRSMT music competition this summer time.

Talking on the Scottish Trades Union Congress in Dundee, John Swinney stated the band’s alleged feedback had “crossed a line” and have been “past the pale”.

There has additionally been a name by a Labour MP for the group to be faraway from the Glastonbury Pageant line-up in June.

The band are listed to play on the Saturday of this 12 months’s competition.

In a letter to Sir Michael Eavis, a co-creator of the competition, David Taylor stated it could be “deeply troubling” to see the band performing on the occasion.

In the meantime, a spokesperson for a German live performance promoter and occasion producer, FKP GmbH, stated Kneecap “won’t be acting at Hurricane or Southside competition this 12 months” within the nation.

On Monday, the daughter of a Conservative MP who was stabbed to demise at a constituency surgical procedure stated the rap group ought to apologise.

Katie Amess, whose father Sir David Amess was an MP when he was murdered in 2021, stated she was “gobsmacked on the stupidity of anyone or a bunch of individuals being within the public eye and saying such harmful, violent rhetoric”.

Ms Amess stated she can be ready to fulfill Kneecap and have a dialog with them.

“If they’re keen to hearken to how my life has been obliterated and can by no means be the identical, for them to say these phrases is clearly very triggering,” she stated.

Final week, TV persona Sharon Osbourne stated the group ought to have their United States work visas revoked after they ended their set at Coachella, an annual music competition in California, with pro-Palestinian messages.

Ms Osbourne stated that Kneecap “took their efficiency to a special degree by incorporating aggressive political statements”.

When requested by BBC Information NI for response, the band stated: “Statements aren’t aggressive, murdering 20,000 youngsters is although.”