Irish rap group Kneecap is under investigation by a counter-terror unit because of a performance last year, in which they showed support for Palestine and Lebanon’s paramilitary organizations, Hamas and Hezbollah.
The footage was posted online by Danny Morris from the Jewish security charity, the Community Security Trust, who said it was from a gig last November at London's Kentish Town Forum. It depicts an apparent Kneecap member shouting “Free Palestine, Tiocfaidh ár lá, up Hamas, up Hezbollah.”
Although the footage was taken in November 2024, it garnered new attention this weekend following the band’s performance at Coachella, at which they voiced support for the Palestinian cause, inciting the festival’s broadcast partners to cut recordings early, and leading to widespread controversy.
According to a Metropolitan Police spokesperson, the MET “have been made aware of the video 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."
So why is Kneecap in trouble? Hamas and Hezbollah are both designated terror organisations in the UK (though in the media, this is disputed, with the BBC refusing to label Hamas as such), and under the Terrorism Act 2000, it is an offence to “invite support for proscribed terror organisations.”
