Taoiseach calls on Kneecap to ‘urgently clarify’ views amid concern clips furore
Micheal Martin said comments around the safety and security of people was a ‘different issue’ to artistic free speech.
Belfast rap trio Kneecap must “urgently clarify” alleged comments attributed to band members around support for Hamas and Hezbollah, and the killing of Tory MPs, Ireland’s premier has said.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin called for the clarifications after 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.”
Counter-terrorism police in London are examining the footage, along with a video clip from another concert in November 2024 in which a member of the band appeared to shout “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” – groups which are banned as terrorist organisations in the UK.
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.
“I mean Hezbollah are responsible, in my view, for the murder of Sean Rooney (Irish solider killed in Lebanon in 2022).
“And both Hamas and Hezbollah have views that are absolutely… not just views, but participated in terrorist activities and appalling killing of innocent people, as witnessed on October the 7th.
“But it’s not clear to me that they do, that Kneecap does support Hezbollah and Hamas. It’s been asserted that they have made commentary in support of both. I think they need to urgently clarify that.
“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.”
Mr Martin was also asked about the criticism Kneecap has faced in the US over its recent performance during the major music festival Coachella, held in California.
At Coachella, Kneecap displayed messages which 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”.
Mr Martin was asked to comment on calls from some of the band’s critics for its members to be denied a new US visa ahead of future gigs in the country.
He replied: “First of all, I think we need clarity.
“This has been asserted, albeit in respect to one or two public events, and I think it would benefit the entire conversation if Kneecap were to clarify really urgently their position in respect of Hezbollah for example, and in respect of Hamas, and also their very clear denunciation of any violence or threat of violence against public representatives, I think that’s very, very important.
“In the broader scheme of things, in arts and creative arts and so on like that, people have always been facilitated in terms of their right to criticise particular policies and so on. There’s no issue there.”
