Why are Kneecap not in prison?

[BlossomBlanket]

But Lucy Connelly is? Kneecap told people to kill their MPs. Why have they not been arrested.

(To be very clear, I do not condone violence of any kind towards anyone, I'm just asking as this seems like a double standard, can someone explain?)

You can hate germans if you fancy doing so I really am not one to judge who does or does not hate another entire nation but your assumption I did not grow up in the 70s and 80s Ireland and the assumption that most of us Irish continue holding grudges is a bit of a generalisation.

Kneecap are clearly not the sharpest knives in the box. Nor are their management otherwise they would have made sure that their proteges had cleaned up their social media once they became famous. Management 101.

Like other young people they make rash, ill judged statements - especially while under the influence of alcohol, excitement and drugs. Very stupid of them and they will loose money as a result.

I am not trying to defend them but I cannot be the only Irish Catholic with vivid memories of British soldiers saying “the only good Catholic (Taig)is a dead Catholic (Taig)). Don’t remember all the outrage then.

Yes, that is correct but the gangs are paramilitary. It’s not just random criminal gangs. I think the general consensus is that the loyalist paramilitaries turned to drug dealing in a big way. There’s a lot of protection money extortion etc also. But it is without a doubt sectarian.

When I was young I did and said some stupid things, but I never called for murder or expressed my support for terrorists.

I think the sectarian aspect to society and how it underpins everything is totally lost on people who have no experience of N Ireland, or to a lesser extent, the west of Scotland.

I don’t think most Irish people do but there is a fairly significant and vocal minority who relate everything back to the troubles, no matter how unhelpful/unrelated/irrelevant.

The level of support Lucy Connolly has is wild to me. I guess a lot of women see themselves in her.

As for kneecap…if they are under investigation currently that’s your answer.

Although there has always been enhanced sentencing under riot situations.

Or maybe the model of devolved governments doesn't work and they would be better off fully independent of England centric Westminster

It’s funny that isn’t it. It’s almost as if….the union doesn’t work!! 😁

That’s like saying because Tory and Labour are a disappointment we should vote Reform. Given Brexit, what positive outcome do you see of Wales and Scotland becoming ‘independent’ as well?

That’s what they said about the EU.

They aren't paramilitary they are just gangs. Doesn't matter whether loyalists, republican whatever their 'cause' they are thugs dealing drugs and weapons pretending they are fighting a noble cause, they aren't.

Well they're fighting a cause in the same way all gangs are, for money and power.

Meanwhile kneecap are cosplaying and making tits out of themselves. I hope they keep getting cancelled.

The British govt didn’t ’do Brexit’,
They did. The referendum was called to appease Tory backbenchers with zero thought on how yes vote would impact the GFA. NI were not considered at all in the decision for this, shows you all you need to know about how they're viewed by Westminster

I think it's more like devolution doesn't work. The snp for example didn't appear able to manage a piss up in a brewery.

How does any of that mean they aren’t paramilitary?? Of course they’re thugs. Paramilitary doesn’t mean “has a noble cause”.

I really don’t care about kneecap. Young people saying shocking things, whatever.

Tory and labour are not models of governance they're political parties so not sure that comparison works.

what positive outcome do you see of Wales and Scotland becoming ‘independent’ as well?

As well as what?

Not suggesting they do just querying whether devolution works

I visit family in NI several times a year and can assure my fellow mainlanders that the troubles are still a live issue - even if, thankfully, the violence is a significantly redcuced threat. But you still watch what you say and where you go.

It has been interesting to see how the Isaral/Palestine conflict has become grafted onto sectarian politics, particularly for young people in NI, So much so that you'll see Palestinian flags alongside tricolours in Nationalist areas and (bizarrely) Israel flags alongside Union flags in Loyalist areas.

My take is that this is a lot of displacement activity. A generation that grew up with the peace process are very wary of inflaming secatrian tensions, but that feeling hasn't gone away and a lot of its energy now goes into the Palestine/Israel discourse.

It can lead to some quite ill-inflormed and over-simplified takes, as with Kneecap, who somehow equate Britian and Israel in these arguments.

Paramilitary means an army of sorts although not an official one. They aren't armies they are gangs. To call them paramilitary suggests they do infact have some cause.

Young people do not say shocking things like 'kill your MP'. You think 'whatever'? How very compassionate I'm sure the Ames and Cox families would be rather shocked to hear such minimising.

They are still organised like a military though that is the point. The UDA still has lieutenants.
you’re simply wrong that many gangs in Northern Ireland currently are not run by paramilitary organisations - they are. Even if the violence is around drugs, intimidation etc it does not take away from this.

OBVIOUSLY I do not support the murder of MPs nor do I support incitement. But young people say things like that all the time. “The only good cop is a dead cop” etc. Kill all taigs still very frequently heard. I don’t support it and obviously kneecap have the platform to cause outrage, but I really don’t give them any more headspace than I do to other polemicists.

Ffs, can we have one thread where someone with TDS doesn't crawl out of the woodwork.

'They are still organised like a military though that is the point. The UDA still has lieutenants.you’re simply wrong that many gangs in Northern Ireland currently are not run by paramilitary organisations - they are. Even if the violence is around drugs, intimidation etc it does not take away from this.'

Lieutenant .

There are just organised crime gangs. Same as those that are rife in many cities. Paramilitary makes it sound like they're fighting in some worthy conflict They aren't, they're dealing drugs and weapons.

TDS?

Also congratulations on coming in on page 11 of a chat and quoting something said on page 1. Quick off the mark you are.

I think that is your misunderstanding of what paramilitary means. “Paramilitary makes it sound like they’re fighting in some worthy conflict” - only to you.

There is a wealth of evidence that they support the IRA and are massive bigots and yet you can't provide any of it?

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/music/news/shankill-rapper-young-spencer-speaks-on-uniting-belfast-with-kneecap/a1695157426.html
https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/kneecap-donate-7000-to-shankill-youth-project-after-winning-grant-case-against-british-government-WB2FPTVOURCZXDEQCA6Y4S6JVU/

Politically I would say they are much closer to PBP than SF.

'OBVIOUSLY I do not support the murder of MPs nor do I support incitement. But young people say things like that all the time'

They are 26, 30 and 34. Not stupid schoolkids. Well stupid yes but at their age and with their platform they really should be be shouting kill MPs.