British detectives for fighting terrorism will examine comments from the Irish hip-hop group Kniecap, which were criticized by British politicians for explanations about the Middle East and the British politics, the police said on Thursday.
The Irish -speaking rappers from Northern Ireland were reported to the police about film material from a concert from 2024, in which a band member seemed to say: “The only good Tory is a dead tory. Kill your local MP.” Film material from another concert in 2023 seems to show a member of the trio who calls “Up Hamas, Up Hisbollah” – both forbidden organizations in Great Britain forbidden organizations
According to London’s Metropolitan Police Force, the officials came to the conclusion that “there are reasons for further studies on potential crimes associated with both videos.
“The investigation is now carried out by the officials of the MET command of the MET, and the inquiries will not be completed at this point,” says a statement by the troop.
The Belfast trio is known for satirical texts and the use of the symbolism associated with the Irish Republican movement, which is supposed to combine with the Republic of Ireland of Northern Ireland, part of Great Britain.
More than 3,600 people were killed in three decades of violence in Northern Ireland, in which Irish Republican militant, pro-British loyalistic militias and the British security forces were involved. Knecap has its name from brutal punishment that shoots into the leg, which was spent by paramilitary groups to informants and drug dealers.
The band was praised for the revitalization of the Irish -speaking cultural scene in Northern Ireland, in which the status of language in a society that is still divided between British Unionist and Irish nationalist communities remains a controversial political issue. It was also criticized for texts that are loaded with explosions and drug references.
Knecap was not known outside of Northern Ireland before the publication of a rough feature film based on the origins of the band, and promoted by a strong mix of drugs, sex, violence, politics and humor. The members of the group played in Kneecapwho won a audience award when it was shown at the Sundance Film Festival 2024 and was nominated for six British Academy Film Awards.
Success led to shows in the USA, including appearances at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in the California desert last month.
During a show, the band showed criticism of Israel on a screen behind it and accused the country of committing genocide against the Palestinians, which were made possible by the US government. The band led the audience in chants of “Free Palestine”.
Knecap was the subject of a heated debate in the British Commons this week, when the legislators of the government and the opposition criticized their comments and found that two MPs have been murdered since 2016.
Dave Pares, spokesman for Prime Minister Keir Starrer, said on Thursday that it was correct that the “deeply insulting” comments were examined.
“Political intimidation and abuse have no role in our society,” he said.
In an explanation on Instagram, the band members apologized to the families of the Labor Party legislators Jo Cox, who was killed by a right-wing extremist attacker in 2016, and the conservative legislator David Amess, who was murdered by a supporter of the Islamic State in 2021.
The group said: “We never wanted to intend to be injured.”
Kniecap said that it “never supported Hamas or the Hisbollah” and “Establish figures” to relieve comments from the context to make “moral hysteria” because the band criticized the band’s criticism of Israel’s attacks on the Palestinians in Gaza.
Artists speak for the group
As a result of the controversy, several gigs were canceled, and some British legislators asked the organizers of the Glastonbury Festival in June to scrap a planned performance of the group.
Mit musicians came to defend the rappers.
Several dozen performers, including the British music legend Paul Weller, the Scottish band Primal Scream and the Irish band, have signed an open letter in which he criticizes a “clear, concerted attempt to censored and ultimately platform” and ultimately “knelez and” political repression of artistic freedom “.
Excitement with Elamin Abdelmahmoud9:43Could the kneecy film be an Oscar contender?
The cultural critic Louise Bruton, based in Dublin, talks about the political and cultural influence of hip-hop trio Kniecap, which mainly raps on Irish, and the new film that tells its history of origin.
The massive attack also signed a separate explanation and published.
“Language is of course important,” said the group. “The terrible murders of chosen politicians Jo Cox and David Amess mean that there is no framework for pinball or ruthlessness.”
But the group continued: “Knee disk is not the story. Gaza is history. Genocide is the story, and the silence, the consent and support of these crimes against humanity by the chosen British government is the true history.”
Knecap planned a North American tour for later a year with two data in Toronto and one in Vancouver in October.
