UK authorities investigate second set of Kneecap concert footage

Music
28 Apr 25

Kneecap at Cork City Hall on February 12th, 2025. By Trevor McGrath- hotpress.com

"Since our statements at Coachella - exposing the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people - we have faced a coordinated smear campaign," Kneecap wrote in a statement on Instagram. "For over a year, we have used our shows to call out British and Irish governments' complicity in war crimes."

Authorities in the UK are currently investigating footage which appears to show one Kneecap member say "The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP."

In response to the video, which is supposedly from a concert in 2023, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called for the band to be prosecuted.

"Kneecap's glorification of terrorism and anti-British hatred has no place in our society," she said. "After the murder of Sir David Amess, this demands prosecution."

David Amess was a Conservative MP who was stabbed to death in 2021.

A spokesperson for the UK government has said that they take reports of threats "extremely seriously" and that "political intimidation and abuse must have no place in our society."

This is the second video under investigation by UK police, with the first appearing to show one band member voice support for Hamas and Hezbollah.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin called on Kneecap to "urgently clarify" their alleged support of the two groups, who are classed as terrorist organisations by both the EU and UK.

"Both Hamas and Hezbollah have views that are absolutely... not just views, but participated in terrorist activities and appalling killing of innocent people," Martin said.

"But it's not clear to me that they do, that Kneecap does support Hezbollah and Hamas," he continued. "It's been asserted that they have made commentary in support of both. I think they need to urgently clarify that."

In a statement released by the band on Instagram, Kneecap claim they "have faced a coordinated smear campaign."

"The recent attacks against us, largely emanating from the US, are based on deliberate distortions and falsehoods," they wrote. "We are taking action against several of these malicious efforts."

"We do not give a f*ck what religion anyone practices," they continued. "What we care about is that governments of the countries we perform in are enabling some of the most horrific crimes of our lifetimes - and we will not stay silent."