IRISH language rap group Kneecap will not receive any further public funds, Downing Street has said.
Counter-terrorism police said they are assessing footage reportedly from the group's November 2024 gig in London’s Kentish Town Forum and a November 2023 concert.
Scotland Yard said it is looking into the concert from November 2024 in which a member of the band appeared to shout “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” – groups that are banned as terrorist organisations in the UK.
Following the Metropolitan police announcement last week, the Prime Minister’s spokesperson indicated there would be no further public funds directed towards Kneecap.
They said: “I don’t think organisations such as that should be receiving taxpayers’ money.”
Last year, Kneecap won a discrimination challenge over the decision to refuse them a £14,250 funding award after the UK government conceded it was “unlawful”.
Kneecap, made up of Liam Og O Hannaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, have claimed they are facing a “co-ordinated smear campaign” after speaking out about “the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people”.
Kneecap have also suggested they are taking legal action against “false accusations of antisemitism” after criticism of them displaying messages about Israel's war on Gaza during their set at US music festival Coachella.
The Belfast group accused Israel of genocide and war crimes against Palestinians with on-screen messages when they ended their set on the second weekend of the event in California.
The on-screen messages 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”.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has also called for the prosecution of the group after a member of Kneecap 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.”
Badenoch said Kneecap’s “anti-British hatred has no place in our society” as she called for them to face action.
Irish Premier Micheál Martin (below) has called on the rap trio to “urgently clarify” alleged comments attributed to band members around support for Hamas and Hezbollah, and the killing of Tory MPs.
Labour MP David Taylor has also written to the founder of the Glastonbury Festival, Michael Eavis, urging him to remove the group from the festival’s 2025 line-up.
Taylor wrote: “It would be deeply troubling to see the Festival provide a platform to individuals who advocate hatred and violence, particularly at a time when political and social tensions are already high”.
The counter terrorism internet referral unit (CTIRU) is a national counter terrorism policing unit based within the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.
It is dedicated to identifying terrorist and extremist material online.
On Sunday, a Met spokesperson said: “We were made aware of a video on April 22, believed to be from an event in November 2024, and it has been referred to the counter terrorism internet referral unit for assessment and to determine whether any further police investigation may be required.
“We have also been made aware of another video believed to be from an event in November 2023.”
They added the force “are assessing both to determine whether further police investigation is required”.
