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‘We just want to stop people being murdered’: Kneecap on Palestine, protest and provocation

The Irish rap trio have recently faced censure and a court case, but have also had support for their pro-Palestine stance. Ahead of a Glastonbury appearance deemed ‘inappropriate’ by Keir Starmer, they argue the backlash against them is a deliberate distraction

The former statement attracted criticism from the families of murdered MPs Jo Cox and David Amess, leading the band to apologise – “we never intended to cause you hurt” – and to reject “any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual”. In response, artists including Massive Attack, Paul Weller and Primal Scream signed a letter advocating for free speech and alleging that Kneecap were victims of a “campaign of intimidation”. Because of this, as well as their frequent references to drugs, the group have been criticised by unionist and republican advocates alike, as well as by Kemi Badenoch last year, who, when serving as UK business secretary, tried to block Kneecap from receiving a government-funded Music Export Growth Scheme grant because they “oppose the United Kingdom”.

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