Do young people in west Belfast 'stand with Kneecap'?

by Austin

Irish rap group Kneecap have been in the spotlight for controversial reasons this week and BBC News NI asked young fans in their west Belfast home if their views of the group have changed.

The group caused controversy for sharing pro-Palestinian messages during their performance at the US musical festival Coachella.

Since then, videos of some of their previous performances have resurfaced, including one from November 2023 in which a member of the west Belfast trio said "The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP."

On Thursday, the Metropolitan Police said they will investigate online videos showing Kneecap calling for the death of British MPs and shouting "up Hamas, up Hezbollah".

Kneecap said they have never supported Hamas or Hezbollah and would not incite violence against any individual.

Both Hamas and Hezbollah are banned in the UK and it is a crime to express support for them.

The husband of murdered MP Jo Cox later called on Kneecap to give a "real apology".

Katie Amess, whose father Sir David Amess was an MP when he was murdered in 2021, said she was "gobsmacked at the stupidity of somebody or a group of people being in the public eye and saying such dangerous, violent rhetoric".

Kneecap say the videos have been taken out of context.

A number of politicians have called for the Irish rap band to be uninvited from UK gigs.

Some of the band's performances have been cancelled but a number of artists have signed a joint statement in support of Kneecap and freedom of expression through the band's label Heavenly Recordings.

But what do young people on the Falls Road in west Belfast think?

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