UK and Irish governments condemn alleged comments

The UK government has criticized purported statements made by the rap group Kneecap as “entirely unacceptable” and indicated they should be denied government support.

Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, had blocked a government grant for the bilingual Belfast group while serving as business secretary, though that decision was later reversed.

Video footage from a concert in November 2023 surfaced, where a member of the band seemingly stated: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP”.

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer commented that he did not believe “individuals expressing such views should receive government funding”.

Kneecap has claimed via social media that they are enduring a “coordinated smear campaign”.

Counter-terrorism police are evaluating the footage, while Badenoch has called for legal action.

The Metropolitan Police are reviewing that alongside another video from the previous November, where a band member appeared to chant “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” during a performance in London.

Taoiseach Micháel Martin urged the trio to “urgently clarify” their statements.

Both Hamas and Hezbollah are outlawed in the UK, and supporting them is criminal.

Currently, none of the Kneecap members face any charges.

On Monday in Dublin, the Taoiseach stated: “Do they support Hamas and Hezbollah? That would be totally unacceptable.”

“Hezbollah is, in my opinion, responsible for the murder of Sean Rooney.

“Both Hamas and Hezbollah have views that are absolutely… not merely views, but have participated in terrorist activities and the horrific slaughter of innocents, as evidenced on October 7.

“Yet it is unclear to me whether Kneecap endorses Assad and Hamas. There are claims they’ve made supportive comments, and they need to urgently clarify this.”

He emphasized the “tremendous responsibility” regarding the safety of public officials.

“Maintaining free speech and the capacity to criticize policies is vital. However, concerning the life, security, and safety of individuals, that presents a different challenge,” he added.

Last year, Kneecap won a discrimination case against the UK government after Badenoch rescinded arts funding for the band, which was ruled “unlawful”.

Kneecap received £14,250, equating to their initial grant amount.

During a campaign visit in Lincolnshire, Badenoch labeled the statements as “disgusting” and insisted the band “should face prosecution”, noting that “others have been imprisoned for less severe statements”.

She argued that they “should not glorify terrorism” and branded them “anti-British”.

Northern Ireland’s Economy Minister, Caoimhe Archibald, told BBC News NI that while she disagreed with the band’s comments, Kneecap remains “a group vocal on issues significant to them, like Gaza”.

She added, “The most outrageous issue today is the ongoing genocide in Palestine, the relentless bombardment, the blockade of aid, and the massacre of innocent women and children—this should be our main concern as a global community in resolving that”.

On Monday, the daughter of a Conservative MP fatally stabbed during a constituency meeting commented that the rap group ought to apologize.

Katie Amess, whose father Sir David Amess was killed in 2021, expressed her disbelief at “the foolishness of a public figure or group promoting such dangerous, violent rhetoric”.

Ms Amess mentioned she would be open to meeting Kneecap for a discussion.

“If they’re willing to appreciate how profoundly my life has been altered, their words are obviously triggering,” she stated.

Recently, TV personality Sharon Osbourne asserted that Kneecap should have their US work visas revoked after they ended their Coachella set with pro-Palestinian statements.

Osbourne remarked that Kneecap “escalated their performance by integrating aggressive political comments”.

In response to an inquiry from BBC News NI, the band stated, “Protests are not aggressive; murdering 20,000 children is.”