Kneecap have crossed a line – but what about the establishment?
The Observer
|May 04, 2025
Northern Irish rap group Kneecap exist to shock. They take their name from a brutal vigilante punishment associated with Republican para-militaries, in which the "offender" is shot through the knee.
Band member DJ Próvaí (pronounced "provo") wears a balaclava in the colours of the Irish flag. Their lyrics celebrate hard drugs and overthrowing the British state. If outrage generated is their metric of success, this has been a spectacular week for Kneecap.
A 2023 concert video surfaced that appeared to show the band saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.” That is now being assessed by counter-terrorism police, along with a second clip from last year in which a member appears to say: “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah.” This followed the band's appearance at Coachella festival in California on 18 April, when Kneecap projected pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel slogans, and led the crowd in abusive chants.
This story is from the May 04, 2025 edition of The Observer.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Observer
The Observer
Stripping citizenship with such ease tears at the moral fabric of society
\"A transcendental power more than ought to be entrusted to any man.\" So observed Lord Houghton in 1870 during a parliamentary debate over William Gladstone's proposal to revoke the citizenship of any naturalised Briton whose actions were \"inconsistent with his allegiance as a British subject\".
3 mins
January 04, 2026
The Observer
In capitalism’s casino, tech’s a surer bet
Britain invests too little.
4 mins
January 04, 2026
The Observer
Marty Supreme effect looks set to bounce table tennis into fashion
Players and fans hope the hit film, and the arrival of the world championships in London, will take the sport to another level
3 mins
January 04, 2026
The Observer
If Osborne had stood up to Cameron on the Brexit poll, we'd not be in such a mess
As more and more people become aware of the catastrophe that is Brexit, with — as I reported last time - even former chancellor George Osborne suggesting reentry to the customs union, the dilatory nature of the government's “realignment” efforts is becoming embarrassing.
3 mins
January 04, 2026
The Observer
When life is a rollercoaster, celebrate the highs
As the new year gets under way, try to keep your glasses half full
2 mins
January 04, 2026
The Observer
'We are putting barriers in the way of getting the most talented scientists'
When he was a child, Paul Nurse walked through a park to school on his own every day.
8 mins
January 04, 2026
The Observer
Zack Polanski’s migration policies aren’t naive — they are dangerously misleading
In a skilfully written article for The Observer last week, Zack Polanski, the leader of the Green party, spoke movingly of “the people who have lost everything”, waiting in “makeshift migrant camps” in Calais, hoping “that Britain might still honour its word and its values”.
5 mins
January 04, 2026
The Observer
Russia is numb to this conflict
Over the past three and a half years, it has become a familiar sight on the outskirts of Russian towns; long lines of fresh graves covered by wreaths in the colours of the Russian flag - and beneath them, Russian soldiers killed ina war in Ukraine that shows little sign, despite efforts, of ending.
2 mins
January 04, 2026
The Observer
No end in sight for Yemen's nightmare as UAE and Saudi Arabia's proxy conflict continues
A full-scale military confrontation between the two former allies was narrowly avoided last week. But the outlook for the Yemeni people caught in the middle is as dire as ever, reports Iona Craig
4 mins
January 04, 2026
The Observer
Royal Mail’s efforts to repackage its logistics problem have arrived too late Martha Gill
Universal mail once connected the country ata flat, affordable price now, as letters fade and parcels boom, rivals take the profits
4 mins
January 04, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size