Politicians name for Kneecap to be faraway from Glastonbury and TRNSMT line-ups following counter-terror investigation
Politicians have referred to as for Kneecap to be faraway from Glastonbury and TRNSMT‘s 2025 line-ups following a current counter-terror investigation.
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Requires the Irish trio to be faraway from upcoming competition dates come after it was revealed earlier this week that counter-terror police are assessing footage from a present that seems to point out a band member shouting “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah”, whereas additionally displaying a Hezbollah flag.
Each Hamas and Hezbollah are proscribed terror organisations, as listed by the UK government – it is usually an offence below the Terrorism Act 2000 to “invite assist for a proscribed organisation”. It was later revealed police are assessing a second video from one in all their gigs, which purportedly exhibits the group calling for the loss of life of Conservative MPs.
As reported by Sky News, the footage is believed to return from a present from November 2023 the place one of many West Belfast trio allegedly mentioned to the gang: “The one good Tory is a lifeless Tory. Kill your native MP.”
Up to now 10 years, two British MPs have been murdered: Labour’s Jo Cox in 2016 and Conservative David Amess in 2021.
The footage that has emerged from a Kneecap live performance clearly crosses the road from political expression to inciting violence.
It’s utterly unacceptable and we unequivocally condemn it. pic.twitter.com/f8Ruo2ykFe
— The Jo Cox Basis (@JoCoxFoundation) April 28, 2025
The Jo Cox Basis – the charity shaped after Cox was tragically killed in her constituency – at this time shared a press release on X/Twitter condemning the band, writing that that they had “clearly” crossed a line “from political expression to inciting violence”.
Equally, the daughter of Conservative MP Amess has instructed the BBC she was “gobsmacked on the stupidity of any person or a gaggle of individuals being within the public eye and saying such harmful, violent rhetoric”, including that the band ought to make apologies to her “and each different person who has been offended by this”.
Politicians have additionally begun to place stress on competition organisers forward of Kneecap’s summer season dates, which embody units at Large Awake Pageant, 2000 Bushes, TRNSMT and Glastonbury.
As we speak (April 28), Labour MP for Hemel Hempstead David Taylor shared a letter addressed to Michael Eavis, requesting the Worthy Farm competition take away them from the line-up. He wrote that if present stories have been correct, the band’s “actions and statements transcend the realm of legit political expression and into the harmful territory of inciting violence and selling extremism, in addition to extreme antisemitism”.
He continued to say it will be “deeply troubling” to see the competition platform a gaggle he claimed “advocate hatred and violence, particularly at a time when political and social tensions are already excessive”.
I’ve written to @glastonbury urging them to take away Kneecap primarily based on their alleged behaviour and the extensively reported footage.
Allegedly calling for the homicide of colleagues is abhorrent, I stand in solidarity with MPs from throughout the Home.
Violence has no place in politics. pic.twitter.com/Zn4MhHeTUA
— David Taylor MP (@DavidTaylor85) April 28, 2025
Likewise, Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney has referred to as for Kneecap to be faraway from the line-up of Glasgow’s TRNSMT.
Talking on the Scottish Trades Union Congress, the SNP chief was requested whether or not the rap trio ought to carry out on the music competition as deliberate, and later instructed media (by way of The National): “The language that you’ve put to me is totally and completely unacceptable. There isn’t any means that’s acceptable. It’s past the pale.
“I feel it makes it extremely troublesome for a band like Kneecap to carry out at TRNSMT, as a result of I feel they’ve crossed a line. It might be unacceptable to me for the band to carry out on such a stage.”
NME has reached out to TRNSMT and Glastonbury organisers for remark.
In response to information of the counter-terrorism investigation, Kneecap shared a put up on X of a graphic which learn, “18 Months Of Genocide Footage Not Underneath Investigation By UK Counter-Terror Police”, with the caption “some information.”
Tory chief Kemi Badenoch additionally addressed the information, sharing the footage and telling her followers on X: “In authorities I blocked Kneecap getting taxpayer funding. Labour didn’t contest the authorized case the band introduced they usually walked away with £14,250 of OUR cash. Maybe now Labour see Kneecap brazenly glorifying evil terror teams, they’ll apologise for rolling over. However I doubt it.”
An anti-Tory sentiment additionally emerged of their controversial units at Coachella this month, the primary of which noticed them main the gang in a chant of “Maggie’s in a field”, referring to the late Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher.
The Coachella performances led to calls from Sharon Osbourne to revoke their working visas. The 2 units on the competition additionally reportedly left organisers “blindsided” on account of their overtly political nature, together with exhibiting pro-Palestine projections on the display behind them and inspiring the viewers to chant “Free, Free Palestine”.
KNEECAP STATEMENT:
Since our statements at Coachella — exposing the continuing genocide in opposition to the Palestinian individuals — we’ve got confronted a coordinated smear marketing campaign.
For over a 12 months, we’ve got used our exhibits to name out the British and Irish governments’ complicity in conflict crimes.… pic.twitter.com/mBojb5QBOP
— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) April 25, 2025
Kneecap have since referred to as the controversy “a coordinated smear marketing campaign” in opposition to their efforts in “exposing the continuing genocide in opposition to the Palestinian individuals”.
“For over a 12 months, we’ve got used our exhibits to name out the British and Irish governments’ complicity in conflict crimes. The current assaults in opposition to us, largely emanating from the US, are primarily based on deliberate distortions and falsehoods,” they mentioned, including that they’re “taking motion in opposition to a number of of those malicious efforts”.
“The rationale Kneecap is being focused is straightforward — we’re telling the reality, and our viewers is rising,” the assertion learn. “These attacking us need to silence criticism of a mass slaughter. They weaponize false accusations of antisemitism to distract, confuse, and supply cowl for genocide,” mentioning “large numbers of Jewish individuals” who’re “outraged by this genocide simply as we’re”.
“What we care about is that governments of the nations we carry out in are enabling a few of the most horrific crimes of our lifetimes — and we won’t keep silent. No media spin will change this,” they wrote.
“Our solely concern is the Palestinian individuals — the 20,000 murdered kids and counting.”
They praised the audiences at their exhibits, saying that they “see by means of the lies” and “stand on the aspect of humanity and justice,” concluding: “And that offers us hope.”