Anti-Terrorism Police United Kingdom investigates Northern-Iers Rap-Trio after controversial statements

The British anti-terrorism police have started a study into the popular Rap-Trio Kneecap, from Northern Ireland, after films have appeared in which the members of the group make a number of controversial statements about British politics and the war in Gaza. That write British media Thursday.

« The only good conservative, is a dead conservative. Your local parliamentary member murder, » said one of the members of the end-2023 during a concert. In another video, from November 2024, one of the members seems to be ‘Up Hamas, Up HezbollahTo call.

The British authorities see both Hamas and Hezbollah and terrorist organizations. In a statement, the London police writes that there is therefore enough reason for « further investigation into potential criminal offenses. » The investigation of the police will now take over the investigation, according to the statement.

British MPs of both Labor and the Conservative Party spoke out about the statements during a debate in the Lagershuis last week. Reference was regularly made to the recent murders of two lower house members – Jo Cox (Labor) and David Amess (Conservatives) – by extremists.

Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservatives, asked the organization of the Glastonbury music festival to delete Kneecap from their program. The festival would thus follow the Eden Sessions music festival that this week decided to withdraw the invitation to the group.

Apologies to families, support from other artists

Earlier this week Kneecap stated, that by fans is praised for their political involvement with, among other things, the Palestinian cause, to judge « all attacks on citizens » and to have supported « never Hamas or Hezbollah ».

Also, the group would not have called for the killing of politicians. The statements would be consciously pulled out of their context and the commotion would deduce from the suffering in Gaza, says Kneecap. The musicians also apologized to the families of the murdered British politicians. « It was never our intention to cause suffering. »

Various music groups have expressed their support for Kneecap. The British Triphop collective Massive attackThat this summer is headliner at the Down the Rabbit Hole music festival, spoke in a statement of « censorship » and states that the commotion distracts from the violence in Gaza. In one joint explanation Bicep, Idles and Paul Weller, among others, emphasized the importance of « artistic freedom. »

Soon in the Netherlands

Kneecap, which has become increasingly popular since the release of their biographical film at the end of 2024, will soon also be seen on Dutch stages. This summer, for example, the Trio is at the Best Kept Secret music festival and they will give two concerts in Paradiso in September. The group argues for a United Ireland, for which Northern Ireland must separate itself from the United Kingdom.

They consciously rap in the Irish, with which they say they have a ‘cultural war« Together against the » British ruler.  » « Every spoken word Irish is a bullet for freedom, » said one of the members in their film. The name of the group – ironically, according to the group itself – refers to the practice of Kneecapping. That was the practice of paramilitaries used during the civil war in Northern Ireland to crush kneecaps from traitors and drug dealers, often with a bullet.

The statements of the hip -hop trio are more often placed under a magnifying glass. For example, FOX News sounded the call to withdraw the American visas of the three members of Kneecap, after they projected anti-Israël texts after their performance at Coachella.

« Israel commits a genocide on Palestinians with the support of the American government, » could be read there, for example. « Fuck Israel. Free Palestine, » the group added. « Statements are not aggressive, but 20,000 children do kill, » the group then responded to all commotion.

The Amsterdam Poppodium Paradiso said after the fuss about the action on Coachella De Telegraaf That it is still ‘difficult to say’ whether the performance will be canceled. Mayor Halsema announced through her spokesperson « to look at the risks for public order and safety in consultation with the police.

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