The heat is off for Irish rap trio Kneecap after police dropped their criminal investigation into the group’s controversial Glastonbury performance.
Kneecap played the biggest set of their career thus far at Glastonbury Festival in June, with the West Holts stage hitting capacity nearly an hour before the Irish rap trio’s set. After the BBC opted not to air the show live due to their growing controversy in the U.K., Kneecap did not hesitate to get political, leading the crowd in several chants of “fuck Keir Starmer” and “free Palestine.”
Avon and Somerset Police said Friday they will not pursue charges against the act following a month-long probe that had the music world watching. The force cited “insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offense” after consulting with the Crown Prosecution Service, according to BBC News.
The investigation kicked off last month when authorities launched a criminal inquiry into the trio’s festival set, with the police appointing a senior detective to review footage and determine whether comments made during the performance crossed legal lines.
“Kneecap was informed of that decision earlier today,” the force stated, officially closing the books on the high-profile case.
In response, Kneecap posted a redacted version of the email they received from the police on their Instagram account and wrote: “One element of the political policing intimidation attempt is over.”
“Why open and publicise an investigation into fuck all? This is political. This is targetted. This is state intimidation. After the media damage is inflicted and seen by millions of eyes – you receive a private email to say there’s no evidence and no action – that is seen by two people only. There is no public apology, they don’t send this to media or post it on police accounts. We will continue to fight. We will continue to win,” they added.
However, the Glastonbury drama isn’t over yet. The parallel probe into Bob Vylan‘s festival appearance remains active as police continue examining whether the act’s on-stage remarks constitute criminal behavior. Police confirmed that “enquiries continue to be carried out in relation to separate comments made on stage during Bob Vylan’s performance,” keeping the English punk-rap duo under investigation.
During Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury set on June 28, they led the packed audience in chants of “death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]” as well as “free, free Palestine” and “from the river to the sea, Palestine must be free.” The set was streamed live on the BBC and caused a firestorm, particularly for the IDF chant, which some deemed antisemitic.
The BBC issued a formal apology after allowing what was deemed a “high risk” act by them to perform live at Glastonbury, despite internal warnings about Bob Vylan‘s potential for controversial content. The performance aired on the broadcaster’s platforms and contained what the BBC described as “offensive and deplorable behavior” related to antisemitism.
variety.com
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