In the wake of displaying a pro-Palestine message at their Coachella performance, Irish rap trio Kneecap have already felt the wrath of Fox News and Sharon Osbourne. Now, the UK's Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit has joined the barrage, putting the band under investigation over concert footage in which one of the members allegedly says, "The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP," as well as "up Hamas, up Hezbollah."
UPDATE (4/29, 9:13 a.m. ET): In response to the investigation, Kneecap have issued a statement clarifying that they "do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah."
The trio wrote, "We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never okay. We know this more than anyone, given our nation's history. We also reject any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual. Ever." They went on to apologize to the family of Conservative MP Sir David Amess, one of the two MPs that have been murdered in the last decade. Amess's daughter went on BBC's Good Morning Ulster yesterday (April 28) and said she was "gobsmacked at the stupidity of somebody or a group of people being in the public eye and saying such dangerous, violent rhetoric."
"Kneecap's message has always been and remains — one of love, inclusion, and hope," the band continued. "This is why our music resonates across generations, countries, classes and cultures and has brought hundreds of thousands of people to our gigs. No smear campaign will change that."
Kneecap added, "Suddenly, days after calling out the US administration at Coachella to applause and solidarity, there is an avalanche of outrage and condemnation by the political classes of Britain. The real crimes are not in our performances; the real crimes are the silence and complicity of those in power." Read their statement in full below.
"We were made aware of a video on April 22, believed to be from an event in November 2024, and it has been referred to the Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit for assessment and to determine whether any further police investigation may be required," a Metropolitan police spokesperson stated in response to the footage [via The Guardian]. "We have also been made aware of another video believed to be from an event in November 2023."
Both clips are being assessed for whether they warrant further investigation by the unit. Public support for Hamas and Hezbollah is a crime in the UK.
For their part, the band allege that they've been victims of a "coordinated smear campaign" as a result of their efforts to expose the genocide in Palestine. As of Friday (April 25), Kneecap have reportedly split from their US booking agent IAG, as calls for their touring visas to be revoked emerged. The band's manager Daniel Lambert claims that they've received "severe" death threats since their Coachella performance. Read a statement from Kneecap below.