Pressure is mounting on Glastonbury organisers to drop controversial rap group Kneecap from this year’s bill – after videos showed them leading pro-Hamas chants.
The Irish band have also been condemned over a rant at a live gig in which they urged fans to kill their local MP – with bereaved relatives of murdered politicians Jo Cox and Sir David Amess leading the criticism.
The Belfast trio, with an army of luvvie celebrity fans, are facing growing pressure over a concert in which one of them suggested ‘the only good Tory is a dead Tory’.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Taoiseach Micheal Martin are among the critics of the group, which is under fire for voicing support for Palestinian terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah at Coachella.
Labour MP David Taylor has now written to Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis and his family, urging them to take the rappers off the bill for the festival this June.
They are due to perform on the Saturday of the event, alongside acts including Charli XCX, Neil Young and Raye – having previously performed a set there last year.
And Sir David Amess’s daughter has now also been calling for the Glastonbury organisers to drop the band from the bill.
She said: ‘For them to get up on stage in front of millions of people – who knows what they’re going to say? It could be very, very dangerous.’
Pressure is mounting on Glastonbury organisers to drop controversial rap group Kneecap, pictured here at the Irish Film and Television Academy Awards in Dublin in February
Kneecap have shared pictures online of reading a book about Hezbollah
They have been criticised by relatives of the murdered former MP Sir David Amess (pictured)
Sir David, 69, was stabbed to death by Ali Harbi Ali at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on October 15 2021.
The MP, a father of five, had been holding a surgery in his Southend West constituency when he was attacked by Ali, who was sentenced to a whole-life prison term for the murder in 2022.
In his letter to Glastonbury organisers, Hemel Hempstead MP Mr Taylor wrote that if reports of the remarks were true ‘the group’s actions and statements go beyond the realm of legitimate political expression and into the dangerous territory of inciting violence and promoting extremism’.
Tory shadow minister Mark Francois raised a point of order in the House of Commons yesterday to say it would be ‘unconscionable’ if Kneecap were to perform at Glastonbury.
He urged Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle to also write to festival bosses to say ‘that this House does not think it is appropriate that Kneecap should be allowed to appear at least until the investigation is completed’.
The chilling remarks were made in November 2023, little more than two years after Tory MP Sir David Amess was stabbed to death in his Essex constituency.
Sir David’s daughter Katie has demanded an apology for her upset family.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman has called the group’s lyrics ‘completely unacceptable’.
During a second set at Coachella, Kneecap stirred outrage by projecting the slogans: ‘Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people’ and ‘F*** Israel, Free Palestine’
The Belfast trio are facing mounting criticism over a concern performance in which one of them said ‘the only good Tory is a dead Tory’.
Labour MP David Taylor wrote to Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis, urging him to take the rappers off the bill for the festival in June.
They are due to perform on the Saturday alongside acts including Charli XCX, Neil Young and Raye.
Katie Amess, whose Conservative MP father Sir David Amess was fatally stabbed at a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, in 2021, said the comments had upset her family
Asked about Kneecap’s remarks, he said: ‘It is obviously completely unacceptable and he completely rejects those views and condemns them in the strongest possible terms.’
He added: We do not think that individuals expressing those views should be receiving future government funding.’
Asked whether he agreed with Ms Amess’s call for the band to apologise, he replied: ‘Of course, those remarks were completely unacceptable.
‘And calls for violence towards anyone, including MPs, is clearly completely unacceptable.’
Katie Amess, whose Conservative MP father was fatally stabbed at a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea in 2021, told BBC News NI’s Good Morning Ulster programme that she was ‘absolutely gobsmacked at the stupidity of somebody or a group of people being in the public eye and saying such dangerous, violent rhetoric’.
Ms Amess added: ‘It is just beyond belief that human beings would speak like that in this day and age and it is extremely dangerous.
‘To say to kill anybody, what on earth are they thinking?’
She also warned there were ‘absolute nutters’ who could try to act upon the comments after her father was murdered by ISIS fanatic Ali Harbi Ali.
The band is also under fire for support for Palestinian terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah voiced at Coachella (pictured)
Mr Martin was asked about the clips as he spoke to reporters in Dublin on Monday. He said it was ‘important’ for the band to clarify its position.
‘Have they, or do they, support Hamas and Hezbollah, because that would be unacceptable,’ he said.
‘Again, I haven’t heard in respect (of the comments about MPs), but again we’ve had some horrific events in terms of the killing of MPs in Britain, so there’s a huge responsibility on everybody to be very, very focused in terms of the protection of public representatives and the safety of public representatives, irrespective of what political views we have.
‘I think it’s important that free speech is always facilitated and the capacity to speak out and criticise and condemn policies of others.
‘That’s all legitimate. But in terms of life and security and safety of people, that’s a different issue.’
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has added to the mounting pressure on the group by demanding the prosecution of the rap trio. Mrs Badenoch said Kneecap’s ‘anti-British hatred has no place in our society’ as she called for them to face action.
Counter-terrorism officers are assessing the footage as well as video from another gig which seemed to show a band member shouting ‘up Hamas, up Hezbollah’ at a performance at the Kentish Town Forum, and a Hezbollah flag being displayed.
Both Hamas and Hezbollah are banned in the UK and it is a crime to express support for them.
Video of a Kneecap gig at the Kentish Town Forum in London last November is under investigation by counter-terrorism police amid claims of antisemitism
Kneecap’s DJ Provai performs onstage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California — April 11, 2025
When Kneecap met Jeremy Corbyn in December 2023, two months after the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, the former Labour leader told them: ‘Thanks guys for what you do in inspiring so many people.’
Mrs Badenoch said it was ‘good’ the police were looking into the allegation, adding: ‘Kneecap’s glorification of terrorism and anti-British hatred has no place in our society.
‘Now footage shows one of them saying: ‘The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP’.
‘After the murder of Sir David Amess, this demands prosecution.’
On Sunday, a Met Police spokesman 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.’
He also said the force ‘are assessing both to determine whether further police investigation is required’.
The counter terrorism internet referral unit (CTIRU) is a national counter terrorism policing unit based within the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command which is dedicated to identifying terrorist and extremist material online.
Murdered MP Sir David Amess’s daughter Katie Amess has criticised the band
Police will carry out an investigation if the material breaches UK law.
In the last decade, two MPs have been murdered. Labour MP Jo Cox’s death in 2016 led to additional security measures to all members of Parliament.
A further review took place in 2021 after Conservative Sir David Amess was stabbed to death while holding a surgery in his Southend West constituency.
A UK Government spokesman said: ‘We unequivocally condemn threatening remarks made towards any individual.
‘Political intimidation and abuse must have no place in our society. We recognise the chilling effect that harassment and intimidation of elected representatives can have on our democracy.
‘All reports of intimidation, harassment and threats are taken extremely seriously. We work with the police and Parliament to do everything in our power to crack down on threats to elected officials.’
Following former The X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne calling for Kneecap’s US work visas to be revoked over their support for Palestine amid the Gaza war at US festival Coachella, the band was dropped by its now-former sponsor and booking agent Independent Artist Group (IAG).
The visas held by the band members are understood to no longer be valid and they are in the process of securing a new sponsor ahead of its sellout October tour in North America.
Kneecap are seen here performing at the Coachella festival in the US
Kneecap have been dropped from the Eden Sessions, a series of concerts held at the Eden Project in Cornwall this summer (a previous event there is pictured)
At Coachella, Kneecap displayed messages which read slogans such as ‘Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people’.
They also said: ‘It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes’ and ‘F*** Israel. Free Palestine’.
On Tuesday, Osbourne called the images at Coachella ‘projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech’.
The music manager and wife of Black Sabbath star Ozzy Osbourne wrote on X: ‘As someone of both Irish Catholic on my mother’s side and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage on her father’s side and extensive experience in the music industry, I understand the complexities involved.
‘I urge you to join me in advocating for the revocation of Kneecap’s work visa.’
Kneecap, made up of Liam Og O Hannaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, alleged on social media they have ‘faced a co-ordinated smear campaign’, saying their shows have previously ‘called out’ the conflict in Gaza.
They also appeared to suggest they would be taking legal action against the ‘malicious efforts’.
Earlier in the week, Kneecap’s manager Daniel Lambert said the band had received ‘severe’ death threats after Coachella.
Kneecap, made up of Liam Og O Hannaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, have said on social media they have ‘faced a co-ordinated smear campaign’
The Irish rap band are seen here being interviewed – they have apologised to Sir David’s family
In a statement posted on Instagram, the group said they ‘reject any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual’.
The post read: ‘Kneecap’s message has always been – and remains – one of love, inclusion, and hope.
‘This is why our music resonates across generations, countries, classes and cultures and has brought hundreds of thousands of people to our gigs.
‘No smear campaign will change that.’
They said they have ‘never supported’ Hamas or Hezbollah.
And the group apologised to the families of murdered MPs Sir David Amess and Jo Cox – saying: ‘We never intended to cause you hurt.’
Eden Sessions, a series of concerts held at the Eden Project, Cornwall this summer, announced on Tuesday Kneecap were dropped from this July’s festival there.
Organisers wrote on X, formerly Twitter: ‘Eden Sessions Limited announced today that the Kneecap show scheduled for 4 July 2025 is cancelled.
‘Ticket purchasers will be contacted directly and refunded. Refunds will commence from Weds 30 April 2025 against the original payment cards used. Please allow six working days.’
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