Police have dropped their investigation into Irish rap trio Kneecap following their controversial Glastonbury Festival performance last month.
According to the BBC, local police announced on Friday (July 18th) that they would not pursue any further action against the group, citing “insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence”.
During their Glastonbury set last month, Kneecap reaffirmed their ongoing support for Palestine and led a profanity-laden chant directed at British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The group described the now-abandoned investigation as “political policing intimidation” and maintained that their performance was a “celebration of love and solidarity.”
“Every single person who saw our set knew no law was broken, not even close,” the band stated in response to the police decision.
This latest controversy follows months of tension surrounding the group’s appearances at Coachella in April, where they defended Palestine and criticised Israel amidst the ongoing conflict in Gaza. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the war has resulted in over 58,000 deaths and caused “unprecedented” starvation following the Hamas attacks against Israel on 7th October, 2023.
Prior to their Glastonbury appearance, Starmer had called for the band to be barred from performing, stating: “I think we need to come down really clearly on this. This is about the threats that shouldn’t be made, I won’t say too much because there’s a court case on, but I don’t think that’s appropriate.”
One of Kneecap’s members, Mo Chara (born Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh), is currently facing a terror charge in the UK for allegedly displaying the Hezbollah flag and shouting support for Hamas and Hezbollah at a November 2024 concert. Both organisations are banned in the UK, making public support for them a criminal offence.
Ó hAnnaidh and the group have consistently denied these allegations, claiming the footage was “deliberately taken out of all context” and suggesting the charges represent backlash against their vocal support for Palestine and criticism of UK and US governments.
During their Glastonbury set, another band member, Móglaí Bap, commented on Ó hAnnaidh’s legal situation: “It’s not the first time there was a miscarriage of justice for an Irish person in the British justice system.” He initially called for supporters to “start a riot outside the courts” during Ó hAnnaidh’s upcoming court date on 20th August, but later issued a disclaimer stating: “I don’t want anybody to start a riot. No riots, just love and support and more importantly support for Palestine, because that’s what it’s all about.”
