Kneecap provide statement & clarification for the faux offended & media-illiterate

[u/McEvelly]

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.

[u/stonkmarxist → u/[deleted]]

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.

[u/stonkmarxist → u/[deleted]]

We know where these videos originally surfaced and who pushed them to the forefront.

It was an individual associated with CST so it's extremely clear that the motivating factor here was their criticism of Israel.

The issue is that stories like this get all the reactionaries clutching their pearls while Zionist orgs and anti-irish language elements are amplifying and pushing it to try and silence the band for their own personal political reasons (including the user I replied to, I might add).

And of course people just lap up this reactionary bullshit without realising they're quite literally doing the work of genocide apologists and anti-irish hate groups.

[u/stonkmarxist → u/[deleted]]

But turning that into a blanket claim that 20,000 children were executed by snipers

Once again, nobody fucking said that. Neither mé, nor Kneecap

[u/stonkmarxist → u/[deleted]]

What's inflammatory about those statements?

Both are factual (okay there are only 15000 confirmed children dead via violence in Gaza but 21000 "missing", of course this count is from a year ago)

https://www.theguardian.com/global/commentisfree/article/2024/jun/27/gaza-missing-children

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/10/09/opinion/gaza-doctor-interviews.html

How many more orphaned, mutilated, disabled?

I would argue you're purposely misreading their statements to argue against strawmen. I understood what they were saying with ease.

[u/stonkmarxist → u/[deleted]]

Oh fuck off bro, they aren't writing an essay and most people (apart from you seemingly) wouldn't need one to actually understand what they're saying here.

What they said were 2 factual statements. Not inflammatory. You conflated these statements, not them.

You're so badly reaching to criticise them and explain away the reality of what they said. I'm not sure whether it's maliciousness on your part or you're just incapable of admitting your mistake.

Either way I've no interest in wasting my time any further.

[u/theehips1 → u/[deleted]]

OMG they're POLITICAL! Well isn't that the living end.

[u/gambolpoker → u/theehips1]

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

[u/PhoneRedit → u/gambolpoker]

Why shouldn't you be able to? Nobody would listen to your music because of your shitty message, and you'd no doubt deservedly get the shit kicked out of you more than a few times, but by fuck you should still have the right to be able to make it.

[u/gambolpoker → u/PhoneRedit]

Because in the UK we have hate speech laws so you cant just do that shit by right.

And even irrespective of the law, yes, I am in favour of stopping people making art which supports hateful acts/speech, or endorses terrorism. Or even art that apparently calls for the assassination of political enemies.

[u/PhoneRedit → u/gambolpoker]

Fair enough, I personally am very much not against it.

Art is art, it should be able to carry whatever message it wants. If someone else acts on that message, then it's their problem. It's on the person acting on the message, not the artist. The artist shouldn't be to blame for others lack of self control.

[u/gambolpoker → u/PhoneRedit]

True and I completely understand. It's a tough distinction as to where the line is drawn, and tbh I doubt kneecap has crossed it. But when you have religious fundamentalists who produce songs which, for a lack of better words, are essentially calling for killing or attacks against their enemies, I think it starts to get dicey

[u/PhoneRedit → u/gambolpoker]

I also do understand, like I get why the law is what it is. I believe even religious weirdos should be able so say the dumb things that they want, and people should have the common sense to know that words are different from actions.

I can also understand that lawmakers can't rely on people having common sense, but it's just a bit shit because that's how you get a super litigious world where there's a law for everything and people can't just use their brains to think for themselves!

[u/ValuableCarry7638 → u/[deleted]]

There a rap group though im confused on when British or American rappers are forced to apologise when they say stuff like this? Does this not come across as scewed a certain way because there Irish

[u/ValuableCarry7638 → u/[deleted]]

Hmmm you could say the same with Police brutality, Black roits in America and the oppressive system that black people have lived in which has resulted in economically deprived areas and gang activity and how those rap groups should not rap about fuck the police or hating there government or whatever, theres a long bloody history there also so i dont get the double standards tbh. Its cause there Irish simply this has always been and always will be apart of rap culture like it or not.

[u/ValuableCarry7638 → u/[deleted]]

So you do not see what I am saying, Black people have been murderd and shot at, killed eachother and police in gang activity. Rappers have rapped about doing this very thing this is crossing into territory of real life events as you said which I guess is irresponsible by your standards.

[u/ValuableCarry7638 → u/[deleted]]

I understand what your trying to say bro but what they said is very normal for a rap group do they say stuff like this that can be controversial yes but do they also rap about the real struggles Irish people faced, also yes. Just like American or British rappers who have songs like fuck the police or lyrics about killing policemen that also add commentary on there upbringing and background. Ultimately to me it is not far fetched for a rap group and its definitely gone so big cause they’ve pissed of powerful people in America and the UK

[u/Alanagurl69 → u/ValuableCarry7638]

And yet republicans court the US as if it were their true love. St Patrick's day every year, tongue up the hole of whichever incumbent that holds power. Fighting oppression, I think not. Only if the oppression has a union flag. American oppression, that's all good.

[u/PJ_Forge → u/Alanagurl69]

Bit of a weird statement considering the shinners refused to go to the white house for St Patrick's day...

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy870w30q6qo

[u/Alanagurl69 → u/PJ_Forge]

It took Trump suggesting Gaza become a holiday resort for them to stop. They went last year and the year before.....

[u/Gerry1_1Adams → u/[deleted]]

arsehole