SCOTLAND'S First Minister John Swinney has called for Kneecap to be removed from the TRNSMT line-up.
Swinney said the band had "crossed the line" with comments apparently backing Hamas and calling for the death of MPs, and that it would be "unacceptable" for them to perform.
Speaking at the Scottish Trades Union Congress, the SNP leader was asked whether the West Belfast rap trio should continue to perform at the Glasgow summer music festival as planned.
He told media: "The language that you have put to me is completely and utterly unacceptable. There is no way that is acceptable. It’s beyond the pale.
"I think it makes it incredibly difficult for a band like Kneecap to perform at TRNSMT, because I think they have crossed a line.
"It would be unacceptable to me for the band to perform on such a stage."
He continued: "I'm not very familiar with this group, but what I've heard of their comments I find completely and utterly unacceptable, so I cannot see how they can perform at TRNSMT.
"We don't run the TRNSMT festival, but my opinion, for what it's worth, is that these comments just are unacceptable.
"They cause division in our society, they cause a lot of unease, and I think TRNSMT will want to respond to that."
Earlier, Downing Street condemned the rap trio and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called for their prosecution after a member of the group allegedly called for the death of Tory MPs.
Video emerged of the group at a November 2023 gig appearing to show one member saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”
The video surfaced after pro-Israel criticism of their recent performance at Coachella.
Campaigners called for the band's work visas to be revoked after they ended their set at the second weekend of Coachella with three messages on a screen that read: “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people”, “It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes” and “F*** Israel. Free Palestine.”
