Footage showing Northern Irish rap group Kneecap allegedly calling for the death of British MPs has been reviewed by counter-terrorism police. At a November 2023 gig, a member of Kneecap reportedly said, “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.” Additionally, at another gig in November of the previous year at the Kentish Town Forum, a band member shouted, “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah,” and aHezbollah flag was displayed. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are banned in the UK, and showing support for them is viewed as a criminal offense.
On Sunday, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said that they were notified of a video from an event in November 2024 on April 22nd, and it was sent to the counter-terrorism internet referral unit for analysis to see if a further police investigation might be needed.
The Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) will assess whether the material might breach UK law. In recent years, two MPs have been murdered, with additional security measures introduced after each incident. The UK government has expressed its condemnation of threatening remarks directed at individuals.
After Sharon Osbourne called for the revocation of Kneecap’s US work visas due to their support for Palestine at Coachella, the band was dropped by its former sponsor and booking agency, Independent Artist Group (IAG). The band members’ visas are reportedly no longer valid, and they are working on securing a new sponsor for their upcoming North America tour.
Kneecap displayed messages critical of Israel’s actions towards Palestinians at Coachella. Sharon Osbourne labeled these messages as “projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech” and advocated for the revocation of the band’s work visas. In response, Kneecap accused the band of facing a coordinated smear campaign and suggested they might take legal action against those they see as responsible for the “malicious efforts.” The band’s manager also stated that they had received “severe” death threats after their performance at Coachella.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/apr/28/kneecap-alleged-kill-your-mp-concert-footage-police-ntwnfb
