LONDON (AP) — British police stated Thursday that counterterrorism detectives will examine feedback by Irish hip-hop group Kneecap, which has been criticized by U.Ok. politicians over statements in regards to the Center East and British politics.
The Irish-language rappers from Northern Eire had been reported to police over footage from a 2024 live performance wherein a band member appeared to say: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.” Footage from one other live performance, in 2023, seems to indicate a member of the trio shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” – each banned organizations within the U.Ok.
London’s Metropolitan Police power stated the movies “had been referred to the Counter Terrorism web Referral Unit for evaluation by specialist officers, who’ve decided there are grounds for additional investigation into potential offenses linked to each movies.
“The investigation is now being carried out by officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command and inquiries remain ongoing at this time,” the power stated in an announcement.
The Belfast trio is thought for satirical lyrics and use of symbolism related to the Irish republican motion, which seeks to unite Northern Eire, presently a part of the U.Ok., with the Republic of Eire. Greater than 3,600 folks had been killed throughout three a long time of violence in Northern Eire involving Irish republican militants, pro-British Loyalist militias and the U.Ok. safety forces.
Kneecap’s feedback had been criticized within the Home of Commons this week by authorities and opposition lawmakers, who famous that two members of Parliament have been murdered since 2016.
In an announcement on Instagram, band members Liam Og O Hannaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh apologized to the households of Labour Social gathering lawmaker Jo Cox, who was killed in by a far-right attacker in 2016, and Conservative legislator David Amess, murdered in 2021 by an Islamic State supporter.
The group stated “we never intended to cause you hurt.”
Kneecap stated it had “never supported Hamas or Hezbollah,” and accused “establishment figures” of taking feedback out of context to “manufacture moral hysteria” due to the band’s criticism of Israel’s assaults on Palestinians in Gaza.
A number of Kneecap gigs have been canceled on account of the controversy, and a few British lawmakers have referred to as on organizers of June’s Glastonbury Competition to scrap a deliberate efficiency by the group.
Fellow musicians have come to the rappers’ protection. A number of dozen performers, together with British rock group Primal Scream, Irish band Fontaines D.C. and mod singer Paul Weller have signed an open letter criticizing a “clear, concerted attempt to censor and ultimately deplatform” Kneecap and opposing “political repression of artistic freedom.”
