After their controversial set at Coachella, KNEECAP is now facing more criticism for their unwavering stance on the liberation of Palestine and anti-IDF messages at their performances.

Earlier today, Scottish First Minister John Swimney called for TRNSMT, the popular summer music festival in Glasgow, to pull the Irish trio from their lineup. He said the band "crossed the line" during their Coachella set, which concluded with a "Free Palestine" chant and projected messages that read, "Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people...It is being enabled by the U.S. government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes. F**k Israel; free Palestine."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by KNEECAP (@kneecap32)

"I cannot see how they can perform at TRNSMT," Swimney told LBC. "These comments are unacceptable, they cause division in our society, they will cause a lot of unease, and I think TRNSMT ought to respond to that."

TRNSMT has not commented on Kneecap's scheduled performance yet.

Yet, pulling the trio from summer music festivals isn't the only punishment critics are seeking. Over the weekend, In England, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch pushed for condemnation of the band's "pro-Hamas" messaging, as well as their "anti-British" hatred, earlier today. "Kneecap’s glorification of terrorism...has no place in our society," she commented, according to Evening Standard. She then cited a resurfaced clip of a 2023 gig where one member claimed, "The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP!"

(Badenoch, acting as the UK's Business Secretary, also blocked Kneecap from receiving their promised government arts grant money in December 2023 for "[promoting] violence" and "[hating] the UK," according to the BBC. The group sued the government for discrimination, claiming they violated the Good Friday Agreement to censor "our way of expressing ourselves," and won back their promised £14,250.)

Prime Minister Keir Starmer also commented on the resurfaced clip, saying via spokesperson that their words were "completely unacceptable," and he "condemns them in the strongest possible terms," per the Evening Standard. Earlier today, his team confirmed that the band would no longer receive any public funding, per The National.

Scotland Yard is now currently investigating the band for promoting terrorism, looking at concert footage where they critique either the British Government or the IDF. One concert of note is the band's 2024 gig in London’s Kentish Town Forum, where a member of the group allegedly chanted, "Up Hamas, up Hezbollah," groups the UK government officially recognizes as terrorist organizations. (It is considered a crime there to show vocal support for them.)

Staying focused on Palestine, Kneecap responded to the counter-terrorism investigation on April 24 with a simple graphic:

The Hollywood Reporter also revealed over the weekend that the Irish-language rap group "parted ways" with Independent Artist Group (IAG), their US booking agency, during the first and second weekends of their Coachella performances. A representative confirmed with the publication that the band had been dropped, but they did not comment on the agency's reason. The agency also confirmed that they pulled their sponsorship of the group's work VISAs, which would allow them to perform on their upcoming, nearly sold-out US tour this fall.

Kneecap have yet to comment on the future of their North American tour, which would be their biggest yet.

In response to all of this, Kneecap published an official statement to their social media on April 25. "For over a year, we have used our shows to call out the British and Irish governments' complicity in war crimes," they wrote. They assured fans that they will be taking actions against "deliberate distortions and falsehoods" spread by their critics from predominately UK and US media.

"Those attacking us want to silence criticism of a mass slaughter. They weaponize false accusations of antisemitism to distract, confuse, and provide cover for genocide," they continued. Kneecap clarified that they "do not give a f*ck about what religion anyone practices" and 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."

Read the full statement below: