TUV writes to US State Department urging it to ban Kneecap from touring America while MP calls for group to be axed from Glastonbury bill

The TUV has written to the US State Department urging it to bar the group from America, where it is due to play a string of sold-out shows in autumn.

Meanwhile, a Labour MP has said Glastonbury should rescind its invitation to the band to play the 200,000-plus-capacity festival this year.

It all comes after footage emerged of concertgoers being told to “kill your local MP”.

The footage was posted up on Facebook by an avid gig-goer on November 29, 2023, taken from a gig at London’s Electric Ballroom.

The footage has begun to circulate widely now because of the intense focus on Kneecap’s public pronouncements on the Israel-Palestine conflict over the previous week.

In the 2023 footage, a voice from the stage says: "We’re still under British occupation in Ireland [cue boos from the crowd]. We still have old men in London making decisions that affect my life in Ireland – and even worse, they're f***ing Tories.

“The only good Tory is a dead Tory [cheers]. Kill your local MP.”

It comes after other footage began to circulate widely several days earlier from a gig in London’s Kentish Town Forum on November 21, 2024.

On that occasion, band member Mo Chara could be seen draped in the flag of Hezbollah, complete with an image of an assault rifle. “Tiocfaidh ar la, up Hamas, up Hezbollah!” he roared. There is also a second video showing the same thing from a different angle.

The Met police are investigating both these on-stage incidents.

The focus on the group really started when it broadcast the words “F**K ISRAEL” from the stage at Coachella festival in California about 10 days ago, incensing pro-Israel Americans.

The group is currently slated to play concerts in Europe, the UK and USA – including a 40,000-capacity gig at Belfast’s council-run Boucher Playing Fields this summer.

However, part-Jewish music mogul Sharon Osbourne had called for Kneecap to be denied a visa for its US tour, and now the TUV has formally written to the State Department requesting this.

The letter bears the name of Mid and East Antrim councillor Matthew Warwick, and says: “Kneecap are not merely entertainers; they are open advocates of violence, division, and terror.”

He went on to say: “Kneecap has publicly called for violence against sitting members of parliament, promoting the killing of elected officials – a grave incitement that goes far beyond artistic expression and constitutes a direct attack on democracy.

“The group also uses their platform to champion extremist causes abroad. At their recent performance at the Coachella music festival, they projected inflammatory anti-Israel slogans, accusing Israel of genocide and condemning the US government as complicit in alleged war crimes.

“Furthermore, they have publicly aligned themselves with organisations such as Hamas, whose brutal acts of terrorism have targeted Jewish civilians.

“In today’s climate, where antisemitism is a rising threat particularly in academic settings where President Trump’s administration has taken welcome steps to address the issues, it would be deeply irresponsible to allow entry to individuals who promote such hatred and violence.

“US law rightly provides for the denial of visas to those who advocate terrorism, incite political violence, or pose a risk to public order and social cohesion. By their words and actions, Kneecap clearly fall into this category.

“Granting Kneecap visas would not promote cultural exchange. It would instead export to American cities a toxic ideology rooted in glorifying terrorism and stoking division.”

It has also emerged that Labour MP for Hemel Hempstead David Taylor as written to the organisers of Glastonbury, saying: “By hosting such a group, Glastonbury Festival risks undermining its proud tradition of promoting peace, unity and social responsibility.

“It would be deeply troubling to see the festival provide a platform to individuals who advocate hatred and violence, especially at a time when political and social tensions are already high.

“I urge you to reconsider the decision to host Kneecap and remove them from the list of performers.

“Doing so would send a clear message that Glastonbury stands firmly against violence, terrorism, and political extremism in all its forms.”

Kneecap manager Dan Lambert has said repeatedly when contacted: “There’s journalism and then there’s the News Letter Belfast. Nobody from Kneecap will be providing comment to your 'paper’, ever. Free Palestine!”

Mr Lambert also added “hasta la victoria siempre,” a Spanish phrase meaning “ever onward to victory” that is closely associated with communist guerrilla Che Guevara.

In statements on Twitter however, the group said it is facing “a coordinated smear campaign”.

"We do not give a f*ck what religion anyone practices," it said.

"We know there are massive numbers of Jewish people outraged by this genocide [in Gaza] just as we are. What we care about is that governments of the countries we perform in are enabling some of the most horrific crimes of our lifetimes – and we will not stay silent. No media spin will change this.

"Our only concern is the Palestinian people – the 20,000 murdered children and counting. The young people at our gigs see through the lies. They stand on the side of humanity and justice. And that gives us great hope.”