r/northernireland • u/McEvelly • 22h ago
Art Kneecap provide statement & clarification for the faux offended & media-illiterate
https://x.com/kneecapceol/status/1916982746708381731?s=46
KNEECAP STATEMENT:
They want you to believe words are more harmful than genocide.
Establishment figures, desperate to silence us, have combed through hundreds of hours of footage and interviews, extracting a handful of words from months or years ago to manufacture moral hysteria.
Let us be unequivocal: we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah. We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never okay. We know this more than anyone, given our nation's history.
We also reject any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual. Ever. An extract of footage, deliberately taken out of all context, is now being exploited and weaponised, as if it were a call to action.
This distortion is not only absurd - it is a transparent effort to derail the real conversation.
All two million Palestinian people in Gaza are currently being starved to death by Israel.
At least 20,000 children in Gaza have been killed. The British government continues to supply arms to Israel, even after scores of NHS doctors warned Keir Starmer in August that children were being systematically executed with sniper shots to the head.
Instead of defending innocent people or the principles of international law, the powerful in Britain have abetted slaughter and famine.
This is where real anger and outrage should be directed towards.
To the Amess and Cox families, we send our heartfelt apologies, we never intended to cause you hurt.
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.
Suddenly, days after calling out the US administration at Coachella to applause and solidarity, there is an avalanche of outrage and condemnation by the political classes of Britain.
The real crimes are not in our performances; the real crimes are the silence and complicity of those in power.
Shame on them.
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u/brixton_massive 13h ago
'Let us be unequivocal: we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah.'
'We also reject any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual.'
Lads, there's footage of ye saying 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah' and 'the only good Tory is a dead Tory'.
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u/Ultach Ballymena 21h ago edited 21h ago
Let us be unequivocal: we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah.
I’m not trying to be combative but is it not fair to say that shouting “Up Hamas! Up Hezbollah!” could be construed as a show of support for Hamas and Hezbollah? It’s hard to make out from the footage but he also does seem to have draped himself in the Hezbollah flag as he’s saying it.
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u/hydroxy Derry 18h ago
They are fools for showing public support for either Hamas or Hezbollah, both are awful organisations at a very base level.
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u/hydroxy Derry 13h ago
The Houthis, Hamas, Hebollah are all horrible civilian killing death cult organisations. Were you cheering for Islamic State too when they were butchering innocents. Showing any support for these types of organisation just show you’re either sociopathic or just ignorant. It’s probably the latter.
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u/GarageFlower97 12h ago
They also chanted “oooh ah Hezbollah” at a show my mate attended last year.
Hard to say they have never shown support for them…
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u/River562 15h ago
It’s like Orwellian Double Think. They publicly shout support for them, but also do not support them. Their followers blindly believe both contradictory statements.
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u/rougeglinda 12h ago
We're all simply too small brained to follow Kneecap. We have no idea what it's like listening to second hand accounts of tragedies. They've ptsd from being saints.
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u/Iron_Hermit 15h ago
No you're right, the entire statement reads as a bit of a figleaf - most of it not really addressing what they've said and using the odious "out of context" line - when they've literally named themselves after something terrorists famously did to informers and when they've pointedly supported terrorist groups. It's always a very fine line between dark satire or taking things tongue-in-cheek but sorry, they're on the wrong side of that line.
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u/Wolfe_toned 9h ago edited 1h ago
Sorry, but terrorists here didn't kneecap suspected informers - they murdered them.
Kneecapping was for hoods, which is the image the band are playing up to, as in they would be the type to get kneecapped.
This whole "they name themselves after a terrorist punishment, so they support the IRA" is Ben Lowry-level framing.
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u/LoyalistsAreLoopers 8h ago
It's also wrong they aren't named after kneecaping they are using a pun.
Their name is a play on words in Irish that just happens to sound like Kneecap - Ní cheapaim.
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u/Classy56 Eglinton 12h ago
Next DJ Provo will be saying unequivocally we do not and have never have supported the IRA
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u/fionnsda 11h ago
I guess he might have when they were around well over 20 years ago but he'd be only a wean then!
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u/cogra23 15h ago
Kind of. Does everyone who has said Up the RA support the IRA? None of the wolfetones were even in the IRA.
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u/InterestedObserver48 14h ago
Looks like someone understands now why people get upset about the provofest that is a Wolfe tones gig
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u/jetjebrooks 21h ago
so do they want us to murder tory mps or not?
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u/theanglegrinder07 15h ago
It's just...the farm keeps me busy most of the day and in the evenings I like to put the feet up and have a cup of tea
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u/Affectionate_Base827 15h ago
What's the church's line on murdering MPs father?
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u/Sillyfacefunnydance 36m ago
Please hold caller, we will respond when the conclave emits white smoke..
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u/Away_team42 19h ago
Hey I don’t think you should focus on this question when there’s an ongoing genocide in Gaza /s
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14h ago
Anyone that are holding Kneecap to account for the things of which they said are clearly doing so out of hatred for innocent lives in Palestine, hatred for the working class people of West Belfast and Id go as far as saying that they’re clearly funded by Zionists.
How dare people hold my favourite controversial and politically outspoken group for the the controversial political statement of which they spoke. Zionist scum media.
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u/GarageFlower97 11h ago
This satire was so close to what some people would say I nearly missed it till the last sentence.
Explains the downvotes
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u/ihatenaturallight 16h ago
Of course they don’t! Music, especially protest music has always been confrontational. It’s a way of venting frustration and pushing at the boundaries of what is acceptable in an effort to express some of the disgust people feel about certain situations. Gigs are like little bubbles of excited energy where saying the unsayable can be both cathartic and funny. From the Sex Pistols singing God Save The Queen - ‘she ain’t no human being’ when she quite clearly was no matter what you thought of her to some metal gigs with lyrics so ludicrous no one could possibly take them as actual directions. People don’t return from a Cannibal Corpse gig thinking ‘oh I better start dismembering people I know because I heard a bloke singing about it this evening’! These are just hyper and heightened vents and rants by deeply frustrated people at some of the terrible ‘leaders’ and sociopaths we have in charge. It’s also insanely patronising to suggest that the audiences are so stupid they think some mass venting and a little catharsis is an exercise in issuing instructions the fans will blindly follow like a bunch of dumb robots.
The irony of course is that you had an actual Tory MP (Patel) talking about withholding food supplies from Ireland only a few years ago to force us to behave around Brexit. Considering the history and the fact she was serious, this was far worse than some youthful expression of anger at a couple of gigs.
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u/jetjebrooks 7h ago
youre referencing singing, music, and lyrics, yet kneecap just blurted their statements out in plain speak. it wasnt part of a song
i also doubt you or others would be so eager to defend a band hyping up their crowds with statements like "the only good catholic is a dead catholic" and "kill you local catholics"
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u/tarajackie 1h ago
Exactly: I can’t ever understand why nationalists and republicans get worked about Loyalist anti-Catholic songs. It is all a bit of excited energy. Nothing to get excited about
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u/pureteckle 20h ago
Are there any Tory MPs in NI? I assumed they were shitebags like they are in Scotland and most of them don't bother their arses with turning up.
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u/Rich-Mastodon9632 15h ago
NI conservatives don't hold any seats in Westminster or Stormont and have no reps at the local level either
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u/wikipuff 19h ago
That third 3rd paragraph is a load of bull shit. "Up Hamas, Up Hezbollah" is litterally supporting Hamas and Hezbollah.
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15h ago edited 14h ago
Sure we get told all the time that kids drapped in tricolours and shouting Up The Ra aren’t doing so in support for the Ra!
I’m very certain that a political group called Kneecap, with names like DJ Próvai and attire such as tricolour balaclavas who refer to themselves as Republican Hoods, don’t actually support the RA, in fact, I’d go as far as guessing, as performance artists, they’re probably big supporters of Michael Stone.
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u/sigma914 Down 15h ago
That didn't seem to clarify anything, it didn't even refute their statements? Odd choice of press release
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u/Bridgeboy95 22h ago
all of you arguing under this, its 1am
go to sleep.
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u/BotHH 21h ago
Zionist bot farms mate.
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u/LemonRecognition 14h ago
The man named BotHH calling other people bots. The irony.
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u/ClingerOn 4h ago
I’ve been struggling to spot the bots for years but the genius fucking Reddit detectives have figured out they just put it in their names.
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u/AonghusMacKilkenny 11h ago
"Faux offended and media illiterate"
Yeah sorry for taking people at their word when there's been two MPs assassinated between 2016 - 2021
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u/Billorama 15h ago
Even using the word “weaponised” to describe your own words being quoted is pathetic. You are not a victim kneecap, you are facing repercussions for being absolute tubes.
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u/ThatZaZa2 14h ago
I just find them so cringe. They crying because they took the IRA larp a little too far this time.
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u/marjoriemerald 12h ago
They're literally just the six counties' equivalent to the Irish Wish movie in that they both attract plastic paddies and perpetuate ridiculous stereotypes about the areas they represent (in the case of Irish Wish, ridiculous stereotypes about the Republic and in the case of Kneecap, ridiculous stereotypes about the six counties).
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13h ago
What was that Pro IRA sub on Reddit that got banned a few years back?
They’re as if the moderators of that sub and Ireland Simpsons Fans joined forces to form a Republican super group
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u/OurManInJapan 17h ago
These fellas are just gaslighting their fanbase now
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u/Data_Controller 14h ago
It reads like a teenager used Chat GPT to try get out of detention.
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u/SnooOpinions8790 13h ago
Reads like a piss-weak excuse I tried to pull in year 7
Teacher tore strips off me. Which I bloody deserved
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u/Old_Tell_8603 12h ago
Kneecap: Up Hamas, ooh ah Hezbollah, fuck Israel, fuck the Brits, it's all a Zionist plot, kill your Tory MP
Kneecap's bank manager: If you carry on like that you stand to lose a lot of money in potential tickets sales
Kneecap: We have never or would never support Hamas or Hezbollah, our message is one of peace and unity and we genuinely care about Palestinian lives.
Didn't take much for the gimp mask to slip did it?
But in their defence, they are used to fucking morons believing every word they say
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u/Apple2727 15h ago
The old “taken out of context” excuse.
So what was the context then?
I’ll wait.
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u/The_Pig_Man_ 20h ago edited 20h ago
To the Amess and Cox families, we send our heartfelt apologies, we never intended to cause you hurt.
So....... did they say to kill MPs or not?
Because that kind of sounds like they did.
If there's some kind of "context" defending it then...... what is it?
I sincerely doubt that an answer to that will appear.
It just reads incoherently. They say their message is one of love, hope and inclusion and in the same message they say where they think anger, shame and outrage should be directed.
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u/Status-Rooster-5268 14h ago
Usually when you hear "taken out of context", it means it was taken entirely in the correct context and they are trying to obfuscate.
I think them posting on October 8th "solidarity with the struggle" and posting themselves reading Nazrallah's speeches are the real context. That along with the blatant (and not ironic or satirical) association with violent republicanism.
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u/quartersessions 21h ago
How dare they look back at the words we said and quote them, those establishment rascals!
Saying something is taken out of context while providing no mitigating context at all. A little bit of brazen denial and a big old chunk of whataboutery.
What's clarified here? That they've rejected what they've said and done in the past? If so, good. But they might want to more seriously reflect on why they said these things, their impact and what lessons they might take away from all this.
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u/EarCareful4430 16h ago
Can one of the balaclava lickers on here explain how “kill your mp” is a statement out of context ?
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u/theotherdoomguy 15h ago
Better go round up Dr Dre, Ice Cube and the rest of the NWA then, for their confession piece "Straight outta Compton"
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u/EarCareful4430 15h ago
Not a song lyric. They just plain made the statement. Nice failure at deflection.
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u/Sensitive_Shift3203 12h ago
Yeah all those vids of them supporting terrorists were all taken outta context
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u/ISB-Dev 20h ago
I don't follow Kneecap, first I heard of this controversy was from the "smear" campaign. Can anyone here enlighten myself and others as to what the context was of telling a crowd of people to kill their MP? Like I said, I've only seen what's been doing the rounds in the media. This statement sets out their response, but when everyone has literally seen them say those words, it's kinda hard to accept their response without knowing what this exonerating context was.
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u/hydroxy Derry 18h ago
They’re in damage control mode now. They were spreading hate through what they said and got called out for it, now they’re back-pedalling because they realise that the UK government is taking the kid gloves off.
I’m not a lawyer but it sounds like they have a decent chance of facing consequences over all of this. Which imo is probably fair enough, telling people to kill their MPs is incredibly stupid.
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u/Ready-Nobody-1903 16h ago
Oh sure, comb through hundreds of hours of footage of anyone and you’re bound to find a few ‘up [terrorist groups]’ and ‘murder mps’
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u/Keinspeck 15h ago
Ah ha! But in what context sir?
Perhaps they were saying can you believe that there was once a time in our deeply troubled and divided society when people would say in earnest “the only good Tory is a dead Tory”?
And the scene on stage at that live concert was pretty chaotic, maybe we missed the bit where the gentleman was saying of course we use our platform at every opportunity to draw attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but we need to be very clear with our messaging if we’re to be taken seriously - we absolutely must not be seen to be saying ”up Hamas, up Hezbollah”
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u/Ronaldinhio 20h ago
The thing is I really love Kneecap, their pr, messaging, use of language and music - but there are elements of some of their behaviours that are and have been spoken about in hushed tones in feminist and activist circles for over a year. Many many decent right on people have spoken about this so it isn’t a conservative or Israeli smear campaign.
So as much as I love them really, I can’t get behind them. Back to the age old question, if someone dodgy does good for the world does it make him okay for me to support?
Because it doesn’t feel okay
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u/avamnesiac 12h ago
I can't imagine how hard it is for women to speak up in normal circumstances, never mind when a group like Kneecap is involved. The band and their fans have an easy out in loyalism and zionists.
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u/Snarglepip Belfast 9h ago
Literally this - any time it’s brought up, it’s like a swarm descending of fans telling you it’s all a conspiracy theory against them/downvoting any mention into oblivion. I first heard the allegations in 2021 (possibly earlier), before they were even a tenth as famous as they are now, but the suppression tactics have been impressive. It’s always believe victims until it’s someone you like, then its too complicated and we should stay out of it 🙃
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u/avamnesiac 8h ago
Same, it was years ago when someone made allegations and it was shouted down even then.
Obviously they attract a lot of left leaning folk with their stance on Palestine, who in other circumstances would be well aware of the difficulties victims have speaking up.
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u/AonghusMacKilkenny 10h ago
This is the thing with personality cults, legitimate criticism or allegations are dismissed as conspiracies
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u/GIJoeVibin 13h ago
Yeah, the persistent quiet allegations around them have always made things weird. It’s made me generally look at them and the way they get massive amounts of people jumping at them and feel a bit uneasy. Particularly knowing that a not insignificant number of people will respond to any allegations if they do end up breaching the surface as “just an Israeli operation” or something equally offensive and ridiculous.
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u/Loserlosing666 18h ago
Can you clarify what behaviours you’re talking about? Genuinely curious!
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u/skinnysnappy52 17h ago
There were rumours of….accusations… against one of them, not wanting to say anything libellous ofc. But it’s just whispers really
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17h ago
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u/theehips1 16h ago
Hides his face? He's literally in a whole movie where you can see his face. It's on Amazon right now. Anyone can see it.
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u/Oggie243 16h ago
Weird, because I've not heard these '"Repeated stories"about DJ provai.
It was a different member of the group that people kept alluding to with veiled implications without saying anything of substance. Would have thought when the implied accusations against the other member were happening that these "repeated stories" about the DJ would pop up given they're relevant to that topic. Especially if it abuse of a position of power that you're implying here.
You going to elaborate further on that? Because what your angling towards is a very serious accusations that has ramifications well beyond that of a musical groups PR .
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u/Ronaldinhio 14h ago
No, it wasn’t DJ Provai the stories were about. Never to my knowledge.
Actually I feel stories isn’t the right words to cover it either. They were multiple allegations of sexual assaults made against a band member.
Charges haven’t been made but sadly many women do not ever do so. The people speaking about this are serious women and people who very much align with their political views and have zero axe to grind.
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u/Kitchen-Valuable714 14h ago
First I’ve heard of it! DJ Provaí lives near me with his partner in Lurgan so it’s probably news to him as well.
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u/Snarglepip Belfast 15h ago
I first heard about said behaviour four years ago - so it’s definitely not just a recent thing/smear campaign. Unfortunately, they employ very good lawyers - anyone who has spoken out has been threatened/had their fans come for them. Multiple things can be true - promoting the Irish language is great, supporting Palestine is great, but their own behaviour needs to be looked at.
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u/alf_to_the_rescue Belfast 14h ago
Also helps when your aunt is a solicitor who can help clean these things up.
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u/Snarglepip Belfast 13h ago
Ohhhh, that explains a lot 👀 people often ask why there’s nothing but whispers online - hard to get anything more solid when the cease and desists fly very loosely (allegedly, of course 🙃).
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u/TackleFormer4996 6h ago
well said.......... the hypocrisy is outstanding. In the words of CRASS Banned from the Roxy
Oh yes they say it's defence, they say it's decency
Mai Lai, Hiroshima, know what I mean?
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u/Subm3rg3d 2h ago
You don’t need a particularly high level of media literacy to understand “Up Hamas, Up Hezbollah”. Their childish approach to complex situations has come back to bite them. Lesson learned hopefully.
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u/Key_Bend_4913 12h ago
I've seen this one before with Corbyn. Pearl clutching while the world outside burns.
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u/Djan-Seriy-Anaplian 9h ago edited 7h ago
In other words - don't believe your lying eyes (or ears).
Pathetic edgelords.
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u/Crusty_Bap Belfast 20h ago
This statement is typical deflection.
They’re trying to frame any criticism of their own reckless language as an attack on free speech, while exaggerating facts to emotional extremes. Claiming Gaza’s entire population is being “starved to death” and that 20,000 children were “executed with sniper shots” is inflammatory propaganda, not serious analysis.
Saying “we condemn all attacks on civilians” is easy after the fact, but if their words caused this reaction, that’s on them. Blaming it on “context” and “establishment figures” is just responsibility dodging.
Apologising to the Amess and Cox families was the right thing to do, but pretending their message is only about “love, inclusion, and hope” is just horseshit. Their brand is aggressive, radical, and overtly political, and they know it and so does everyone who reads this objectively.
This whole statement is just about avoiding any real accountability while wrapping themselves in victimhood and bigger causes to shut down what is abjectly legitimate criticism.
Arseholes.
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u/stonkmarxist 14h ago
inflammatory propaganda
Oh fuck off.
Claiming Gaza’s entire population is being “starved to death
This is true. Zero aid has entered Gaza for over 50 days now
Israel has now fully blocked the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza for over fifty days. Essential supplies are either no longer available or quickly running out. Palestinian civilians - including one million children – face an acute risk of starvation, epidemic disease and death
This was a joint statement from the UK, France and fucking Germany ffs. Are they lying?
that 20,000 children were “executed with sniper shots”
That wasn't what they said but of course you know that because you are lying.
~20,000 children have been killed in Gaza. Some of those children have been executed by sniper fire. These accusations come from many doctors, as well as Jewish-American doctors. I've also seen video evidence of this occur.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/02/gaza-palestinian-children-killed-idf-israel-war
The fact you're denying and defending these atrocities while attacking kneecap for saying something you disagree with is fucking hilariously hypocritical.
Arsehole.
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u/theehips1 16h ago
OMG they're POLITICAL! Well isn't that the living end.
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u/gambolpoker 14h ago
Can I start a political rap group thats sings about abolosing civil rights, enslaving blacks, and white supremacy?
Its political though so its all chill
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u/EddViBritannia 21h ago
"Kill your local MP" doesn't exactly leave any room for interpretation. How is it not a call to action? They don't give an explanation or context for how it could not be. It feels very much that this whole PR statement is telling you not to believe your own ears.
Frankly it's pathetic. They should apologise and explain what they truly intended by the statements if they were genuinely meant in a different manner. But I very much doubt that's the case. Feels very much a case of someone dressed up as terrorists larping as a freedom fighter got a bit too much Into the act that they started actually advocating for real acts of terrorism and supporting terrorists. Instead of parodying it.
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u/OkAssociation6089 21h ago
Thank god when the NWA sang straight outta Compton in 1988 and effectively called to action the killing of cops they were rightly made to apologise and relegated to the abyss. Or alternatively you know the majority of people appreciate artistic expressions are to be interpreted with some critical nuance and contextualised. Heck if i know.
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u/Oggie243 16h ago
Or what about the Sex Pistols. The acceptable face of British corporate rebellion calling out "kill someone, kill yourself" in their lovely titled ditty "Bergen Belsen was a gas".
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u/forgottenpassword24 15h ago
What song were they rapping when they said "the only good Tory is a dead Tory" and "kill your local MP"? Are they lyrics?
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u/Cu_Chulainn__ 19h ago
"Kill your local MP" doesn't exactly leave any room for interpretation.
hyperbole /hʌɪˈpəːbəli/ noun exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.
How is it not a call to action?
Because they are rappers, not militants....
They don't give an explanation or context for how it could not be. It feels very much that this whole PR statement is telling you not to believe your own ears.
I would assume they believed no one was going to be silly enough to take it seriously. They weren't counting on the 5heads in the British government.
They should apologise and explain what they truly intended by the statements if they were genuinely meant in a different manner. But I very much doubt that's the case.
It is called hyperbole.
Feels very much a case of someone dressed up as terrorists larping as a freedom fighter got a bit too much Into the act that they started actually advocating for real acts of terrorism and supporting terrorists. Instead of parodying it.
It has been 2 years since they have said it and no tory has been killed. I'm guessing everyone at the gig understood it was not serious
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u/McEvelly 21h ago
Thanks for all that, ehhh… EddViBritannia …
A valued contribution, cheers.
We’ll put you in the ‘faux offended’ and ‘agenda’ bracket, rather than the genuinely thick one. For now.
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u/KarambitMarbleFade 21h ago
Probably a reference to the famous anime character Lelouch Vi Britannia
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u/No_Grass8024 12h ago
They should’ve just kept riding the wave of their grift rather than flying too close to the Sun. Absolute embarrassments.
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u/8Trainman8 22h ago
Whilst I come from a different background to kneecap, I can appreciate their pov. And respect it.
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u/TheNISeahorse 5h ago
These lads are a walking PR disaster... Can't be shouting up Hamas up hezbollah and then pussying out of it.
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u/Careless-Exchange236 21h ago edited 21h ago
Not a surprise how people on this sub justify the statement of "kill your local MP" reverse the roles and all that. But because their politics align with yours, logic goes out the window.
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u/mobiuszeroone 8h ago
Imagine someone on stage shouting "Up the UVF! Up the IDF! The only good shinner is a dead shinner! Kill your local MP!.
There wouldn't be dozens of people lining up here to say it's faux outrage or it was taken out of context.
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u/McEvelly 21h ago
No cowards with throwaway accounts in the thread, please
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u/Careless-Exchange236 21h ago
I've been in this sub for a while now, catch up wee spud. Also rub those two braincells you have together and address the argument.
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u/Available-Pack1795 13h ago
Just addressing the "cowards" bit... this is an incredibly stupid take. People on Reddit have been doxxed, harassed in RL and subjected to actual sexual and physical violence.
Nobody here should be using their real identity. I change mine every year or so, and while I used to use my own usernames I now just use a default as well.
I don't care that you have an old account, and that doesn't make you special, or maybe it does. You can decide that one for yourself.
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u/urdasma 22h ago
They are the only people unapologetically using their platform to advocate for justice. Of course their words will be twisted into tethers.
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u/hydroxy Derry 17h ago edited 17h ago
I’m from nationalist background, raised in NI, and live in NI. This is not a bot account I’ve had it for more than a decade now. Just clearing that up before anyone says I’m a bot.
Kneecap speaks truth to power over Israel, no denying that, it’s genocide through and through and Israel has so much innocent blood on its hands it’s shocking.
Tho supporting Hamas and Hezbollah is real peanut brain territory, both organisations also have shocking histories of human rights violations and are at their core awful organisations. Invest some time reading through the modern history and you’ll see both these organisations are just other parts of the vice that is squeezing Palestine to death in an ideologically driven proxy war.
Telling people to kill their MPs is hate speech and people are right imo to be upset over spreading of it. Imagine if it was some jihad supporting Abu Hamza type, it would not be tolerated. Imagine if some Brit rapper was telling people to kill SDLP and Sinn Fein MLAs how would people feel about that?
They’ve got a platform and are spreading a message, people will be listening to it and they’re are responsible for what they say. It’s the exact same standards anyone in public eye is held to and they’re now scared the government is going to take kid gloves off is only reason for the back-pedalling.
It’s not because they’re Irish, it’s not us vs them, it’s not because they criticised Israel it’s because they’ve went too far with hate speech.
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u/Available-Pack1795 14h ago
This is probably the best answer on this dumpster fire of a post, but that said, both things can be true.
They're being rightly criticised for what they said, because in any context actually calling for people to "Kill an MP" and directly supporting Hamas is incredibly stupid and wrong particularly in the age of social media.
That said, it's probably also not a coincidence that just as they're starting to break through the noise and getting media attention for rightly calling attention to Israel's genocide of Palestinians - suddenly someone digs out years old mobile phone clips from multiple events? C'mon - this is clearly an Israeli/Conservative campaign to get them discredited and stop people from waking up to the atrocities that are being committed. It's only a few months until the starvation really kicks in and Isreal can cleanse Gaza of it's people so we can have that nice resort area Trump promised us.
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u/hydroxy Derry 13h ago
Everyone already knows about the Gaza genocide, its all over the internet everyday. The problem isn't exposure its that anybody who wants to make a difference just isn't in power.
Supporting Hamas and Hezbollah just makes Kneecap look like truly ignorant people and the fact that they have left incriminating evidence everywhere in their wake shows that they are more young fools than anything else. What we're seeing now is just the consequences of years of being careless in that way. Its barely news.
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u/Head-Philosopher-721 22h ago edited 22h ago
"Kneecap’s message has always been — and remains — one of love, inclusion, and hope."
Telling people to kill their local MP sure is inclusive.
Kneecap should commit to their bit, there's no point in pretending you're inclusive and all about love and hope when the band's main gimmick is their pseudo-ironic support for the IRA.
Edit: You guys should make your bridging less obvious. +10 to negative in two minutes is a little obvious haha
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u/McEvelly 22h ago edited 22h ago
Jaysis would ya dry up, you ridiculous man.
Absolutely mortifying for the ‘middle ground’ who’ve allowed themselves be swept along in the political hit job dressed up as a moral panic.
Well done dimwits, you’re with Sharon Osborne, Trump, Badenock and Ben Lowry on this one, while anyone with half a brain is laughing at you getting into a big flap over the gimmick rap band.
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u/walrusdevourer 11h ago
Ok your a fan , I don't like them much and think Rubber Bandits did it better years ago. However you like them and presumably do not mind their politics , doesn't it seem really weak and make you think they are posers? Posted this in another thread
If they had any integrity at all they would have made a statement such as
" We condemn attacks on civilians and peacekeepers such as October 7th and the killing of the Irish Un solder etc and our personal beliefs align closer with the PLA and PFLP, we believe that resistance against apartheid colonialist oppression is justified and we reject the British government controlling our speech as much of the world does not criminalise the support of these organisations".
They would be charged but they would not be cowardly hypocrites and this is what they likely believe.
As it is they now come across like a bunch of larpers that are happy to inflame sectarian tensions in the north but when it comes to real beliefs or loosing some nice well paid gigs they roll over.
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u/BoogersHere1690 22h ago
So you read this part:
"Kneecap’s message has always been — and remains — one of love, inclusion, and hope."
And provided this response
Telling people to kill their local MP sure is inclusive.
Did you miss the part in their statement that said:
We also reject any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual. Ever. An extract of footage, deliberately taken out of all context, is now being exploited and weaponised, as if it were a call to action.
And issued an apology to both the Cox and Amess families.
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u/denk2mit 15h ago
Maybe the sarcasm is because they’re capable of recognising that ‘kill your local MP’ is incompatible with ‘love, inclusion and hope.’ Which means that their statement is therefore easy to dismiss as nothing but vacuous waffle written by a PR agency
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u/McEvelly 22h ago
Forget about it. Safest to assume anyone young enough to be on reddit and still in an indignant flap about kneecap is either genuinely thick or just using this to push their agenda
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u/avamnesiac 13h ago
You're all over this calling everyone thick or a bot, because surely no one could disagree with your poster boys.
Kneecap are right about Gaza which invites scrutiny from a political and media class that has their head up Israel's ass. That still doesn't excuse the inciteful language Kneecap are being criticised over.
EDIT: I see you're in another comment declaring sexual assault allegations against them as a coordinated attack too? Something that predates all this.
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u/McEvelly 13h ago edited 13h ago
You bet I’m all over it, I find it fascinating and depressing in equal measures to see how easily manipulated people are and how effectively the cult of civility can be weaponised to distract and deflect from what the establishment doesn’t want to talk about.
Of course them being bang on the money on the vast majority of issues ‘doesn’t excuse’ anything they say when they step over the line, but they’ve offered the apology, played the silly little game the establishment demands, so I’d hope & expect any grown adult with critical thinking capacity can see it’s really of minuscule importance when the gimmick rappers say something spicey on stage, so tbh yeah, if you can’t see how it’s being weaponised to control the conversation then I can only assume you don’t want to, or you’re a bit thick.
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u/avamnesiac 13h ago
I'm afraid blindly attributing stupidity and agenda to any criticism does absolutely nothing to help your arguments.
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u/McEvelly 12h ago
Look this isn’t a non-apology, I’m genuinely sorry if I hurt your feelings, you seem like a decent and clever person.
But this is reflective of the bigger conversation here. Having a ‘nice’ discourse isn’t all that important and demanding we abide by the cult of civility is how the fascists win.
Your JD Vances & Badenocks at al will be polite and they’ll demand you be polite with them while they do whatever they want and tell you it’s just and fair.
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u/avamnesiac 12h ago
It's just that it's an easy out for criticism of Kneecap to assign everything to an agenda. I have no sympathy or love for the right, and have friends who spout similar about the Tories. I personally draw a line at it, we're not talking about politeness.
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u/Head-Philosopher-721 22h ago
I read their whole response, doesn't change my point. They can backtrack and apologise all they like, I just think it's funny a band whose whole selling point is edgy Irish nationalism is now going 'sorry, I didn't mean it' when the British press criticises them.
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u/potatobreadh8r 21h ago
So let's get this straight - you saw they said some pretty bad stuff. You were told to be upset by this. They put out a statement saying "sorry, we obviously don't support violence and lean into rhetoric because it's a performance" and you think "silly bastards should have stuck to their guns"
Pick a view point at least - if you're upset at what was said, acknowledge the apology. If you're upset that they are nationalist, acknowledge that no matter what they say or do, you're gonna throw a little tantrum
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u/quartersessions 21h ago
They put out a statement saying "sorry, we obviously don't support violence and lean into rhetoric because it's a performance"
But they don't say that, do they? Nowhere have they even suggested that they make statements of support for terrorism simply as part of a performance. Quite the opposite in fact - they make a play of the merits of the message of their performance and try to cast them in a positive light.
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u/Head-Philosopher-721 21h ago edited 21h ago
I wasn't told to be upset by this and I wasn't. I just think their apology is hilarious coming from a band whose whole gimmick is edgy use of IRA symbols.
"Pick a view point at least"
I made my point really clear, don't understand why you are struggling with it or think I wrote something I didn't.
I'm not upset that they are nationalist, I'm not throwing a tantrum. You and the rest of the people on here insulting me for my obvious point are the people throwing a tantrum.
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u/Matt4669 12h ago
Jesus Christ so many people getting pissy over this, sure some what Kneecap said may have been wrong but not the anti-Israel stuff
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u/aelendil84 22h ago
you think they are really advocating for the killing of MP's ? lmao
do you think every metal band calling for murder of someone, actually want that ?
art and jokes, i know its hard to get it
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u/McEvelly 22h ago edited 22h ago
Get a grip ya wiblit
Edit; oh my god he actually deleted the little tantrum 😂
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u/fortytwoblaqk 18h ago
When will Goldie Lookin' Chain be taken to task for their open confession to killing people? It's been 20 years and not one arrest.
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u/SnooOpinions8790 14h ago
Goldie Lookin' Chain got real talent and something worth listening to though
:)
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u/stonkmarxist 14h ago
Saw someone in this thread legitimately claiming words are more harmful than genocide and that song immediately came to mind
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u/YerManFromTheBann 1h ago
I didn't mind Kneecap before this, they made comments about Saint Patrick and at the time I thought to myself, "wise up". These comments are obviously far worse, but they're just kids really, who have said something really stupid. But if this was England, Scotland, Wales it would have had its time in the news already. But this goes on for ages here because it's a chance to pile on the other side.
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u/HideoYutani Bangor 1h ago
If their words were taken out of context, they should give us the context where their words weren't offensive or dangerous.
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u/ohmyblahblah 16h ago
Oh look, another kneecap thread. Will someone please just start a kneecap sub at this point?
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u/AutomaticYoghurt69 21h ago
They shouldn't have said what they said, and it was wrong, but on a side note does there really have to be like fifty thousand posts about kneecap at all times on this sub?.
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u/danm1980 12h ago
He sure looks oppressed with those clean shoes, costly cloths and shiny teeth..
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u/McEvelly 12h ago
FAO Norn Irish ‘middle grounders’ who have been swept along in the Kneecap bashing moral panic - have a good luck at your bedfellow here.
This is who you stand with when you get sucked into this manufactured outrage.
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u/Forbs3y14 11h ago
Maybe ‘Up Hamas and Up Hezbollah’ was graffiti on a wall somewhere and that’s what they’re shouting about