IRISH rap trio Kneecap have released a new song just two days after one of their members was charged with a terror offence.
The band, made up of Liam O hAnnaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, announced they would be releasing their new track, titled THE RECAP, featuring the dance artist Mozey, on Friday at 1 pm.
Kneecap thanked the “25,000 legends” who will be attending their headline performance at London’s Wide Awake festival on Friday night in a post on social media, along with the caption stating: “Kemi Badenoch you might wanna sit down for this one, if you’ve any seats left.”
The two-and-a-half-minute-long single, which was released through the group's WhatsApp, starts with a sound bite from a broadcast report about counter terrorism police investigating the group over alleged terror offences.
The Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, is also mentioned in the song with lyrics saying: “Get me Kemi’s money and give her our thanks”.
This refers to the group's discrimination case against the UK Government and the former business secretary last year.
Badenoch had refused them funding, but Kneecap was awarded the £14,250 grant after they argued the decision to withhold the grant was discriminatory against them on the grounds of nationalist and political opinion.
The release of the song follows O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, being charged under the name Liam O’Hanna on Wednesday over the alleged displaying of a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, on November 21 last year.
The Met said earlier this month that it would investigate the online video which allegedly showed the group calling for the death of British MPs and shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”.
Both Hamas and Hezbollah are banned in the UK and it is a crime to express support for them.
Kneecap insisted they have never supported Hamas or Hezbollah and would not incite violence against any individual.
Kneecap also apologised last month to the families of murdered MPs but claimed footage of the incident had been “exploited and weaponised,” adding the video had been taken out of context.
In a statement on social media following O hAnnaidh's (below) terror offence charge, the group said: “14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British establishment is focused on us.
“We deny this ‘offence’ and will vehemently defend ourselves, this is political policing, this is a carnival of distraction.
“We are not the story, genocide is, as they profit from genocide, they use an ‘anti-terror law’ against us for displaying a flag thrown on stage. A charge not serious enough to even warrant their crown court, instead a court that doesn’t have a jury. What’s the objective?
“To restrict our ability to travel. To prevent us speaking to young people across the world. To silence voices of compassion. To prosecute artists who dare speak out.”
The statement added: “WE STAND PROUDLY WITH THE PEOPLE. YOU STAND COMPLICIT WITH THE WAR CRIMINALS. WE ARE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY. YOU ARE NOT. WE WILL FIGHT YOU IN YOUR COURT. WE WILL WIN. FREE PALESTINE.”
