British detectives with terrorism will examine the comments of the Irish Hip-hop group Kneecap, which was criticized by British politicians for statements regarding the Middle East and British politics policy, the police said on Thursday.
Irish rappers from Ireland from Northern Ireland were reported to the police because of the material from the concert from 2024, at which the band member seemed to say: “The only good track is dead trays. Kill a local deputy.” Film material from another concert in 2023.
London Metropolitan Police Force stated that the officers came to the conclusion that “there are grounds for further investigation into potential crimes related to both films.
“The investigation is currently being conducted by officers from the Counter -Terrorism Command, and investigations remain at that time,” said strength in the statement.
The Belfast Trio is known for its satirical texts and the use of symbolism related to the Irish Republican movement, which aims to unite Northern Ireland, part of Great Britain, with the Republic of Ireland.
Over 3,600 people died within three decades of violence in Northern Ireland with the participation of Irish Republican fighters, pro-British loyalist fighters and British security forces. Knecap takes its name from a brutal punishment, shooting at the leg, which was handed over by paramilitary groups to drug -informers and sellers.
The band was praised for the revival of the cultural scene in Irish in Northern Ireland, where the status of language remains a questioned political issue in a society still divided between British trade union and Irish nationalist communities. He was also criticized for texts full of curses and drug references.
Knecap was not well known except Northern Ireland before releasing a noisy feature film based on the origin of the band and powered by a heavy mix of drugs, sex, violence, politics and humor. The members of the group had fun Kneecapwho won the prize from the audience when he was displayed at the Sundance Film Festival in 2024 and was nominated for six British Film Awards Awards.
His success led to shows in the United States, including performances at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival festival at California Desert last month.
During the show, the band predicted criticism of Israel on the screen behind them, accusing the country of committing genocide against Palestinians, enabled by the US government. The band led the audience in the song “Free Palestine”.
Knecap was the subject of a hot debate in the United Kingdom of the House of Commons this week, in which government legislators and opposition criticized his comments and noticed that from 2016 two members of parliament were murdered.
Prime Minister Keira Starmer spokesman, Dave Pares, said on Thursday that it was right that “deeply offensive” comments were examined.
“Political intimidation and abuse have no role in our society,” he said.
In the Instagram statement, the team members apologized to the Family of Labor Party Landodak, Jo Cox, who was killed by the far -right striker in 2016, and conservative legislator David Amess, murdered in 2021 by a supporter of the Islamic State.
The group said: “We never intended to cause you to hurt you.”
Knecap said that “he never supported Hamas or Hezbollah” and accused “Figns of establishment” of pulling comments out of context in order to “produce moral hysteria” due to the criticism of the team by Israel to Palestinians in Gaza.
Artists talk about the group
As a result of controversy, several knee concerts were canceled, and some British legislators called the organizers of the June Glastonbury festival to scrap the planned performance of the group.
Subsequent musicians came to the defense of rappers.
Dozens of performers, including the British music legend Paul Weller, the Scottish band Primal Scream and the Irish band, signed an open letter criticizing “a clear, coordinated attempt to censor and ultimately splatforming” and the opposite “political artistic repression of freedom.”
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Louise Brutton, a critic of culture from Dublin, talks about the political and cultural impact of the hip-hop trio Kneecap, which raps primarily in Ireland, and a new film that bases their history of origin.
A huge attack also signed and published a separate statement.
“Language of course matters,” said the group. “The hideous murders of selected politicians Jo Cox and David Amess mean that there is no possibility of entertainment or recklessness.”
But the group continued: “Knecap is not a story. Gaza is a story. General genocide is a history, and silence, consent and support of these crimes against humanity by a selected British government is a real history.”
Knecap has a concert tour in North America for later this year, with two dates in Toronto and one in Vancouver in October.