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LAST UPDATE | 18 hrs ago
UK COUNTER-TERROR police will investigate online videos allegedly showing Belfast rap trio Kneecap calling for the death of British MPs and shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”.
Last week, counter-terror police confirmed they would assess a video of the band, and have now said that this video and another have given “grounds for further investigation”.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: “On April 22, we were made aware of an online video believed to be from a music event in London in November 2024. Following this, we were made aware of a further video, believed to be from another music event in London in November 2023.
“Both videos were referred to the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit for assessment by specialist officers, who have determined there are grounds for further investigation into potential offences linked to both videos.
“The investigation is now being carried out by officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command and inquiries remain ongoing at this time.”
Video has emerged from a November 2023 gig appearing to show one member of the trio saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”
Footage from another concert in November 2024 appears to show a member of Kneecap shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” – groups which are proscribed terrorist organisations in the UK.
Leader of the House of Commons, Lucy Powell, said today that she believed “no-one in this House” would want to see the group at the festival, adding: “We’ll all continue to say so loud and clear.”
It followed a question from Conservative MP Lincoln Jopp in the Commons, bemoaning the fact the rap trio remain on the list of acts set to perform at Glastonbury.
“Can the Leader of the House reassure us that if this band remains on the bill at Glastonbury that she will not attend and that she will also discourage all of her Cabinet colleagues from attending also?”
Powell spoke of the allegations made against Kneecap’s on-stage comments, adding: “On the issue of Glastonbury, I’m sure the festival organisers have heard loud and clear the comments that have already been made about that band and it is a matter for Glastonbury Festival to take that forward.”
Kneecap have already issued an apology for the 2023 comments to the families of deceased MPs Jo Cox and David Amess of the Labour and Conservative parties respectively, who were murdered in 2016 and 2021.
Cox’s family reject the apology, declaring it “half an apology”.
Additional reporting from Keith Kelly.
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