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?)

No I think all the people using their platforms and audience to incite and encourage hatred of Israel are really at the forefront of the We Hate Israel movement.

Yes I agree it’s an excellent programme.
The terrible legacy of the past is all the more reason to deplore anyone like Kneecap who glorifies terrorism.

Unrepentant arrogance.

Mother Superior speaks

“The band are set to support Fontaines DC at Boucher Playing Fields, Belfast, in August.
Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's The Nolan Show, Belfast city councillor Jim Rodgers of the Ulster Unionist Party said "serious consideration should be given" on whether the concert should go ahead.
"I've already spoken to some of the council officers and I'm hoping that the necessary action will be taken. We have to lead by example," he said.
"We would be sending out the wrong message if we were to allow this group to go ahead with their event."
The Democratic Unionist Party has called for an emergency city council meeting.
"Citing concerns over 'dangerous rhetoric,' glorification of terrorism, and incitement to violence, we insist such acts should not be platformed on Council-owned land," the party said.”

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8x8n5kn80qo

Does this seem a tad hypocritical to anyone else, given the sort of thing that goes on every July?

Seems stupid. If MPs were killed someone else would take over.

I would completely support a crackdown on the bigotry of July 12th but I acknowledge that it would not be an easy task.
Kneecap is a bit different - they are making money from glorifying terrorism and it would be wrong for councils to give them a platform to continue.

No just realism, and a belief that grudges do nothing but poison you slowly and over time until it becomes an obsession.

Yes - it leads to extremism and the kind of thinking where it’s ok to talk about killing MPs

If this had been your only and main message, I would agree with you.

But you literally said (whilst comparing WWII with the NI conflict)

I don’t think the Irish will ever really know what it’s like to go through devastation on that scale in relatively modern history

So you can spout ignorance like this and then tell people to ‘just get over it’?
You can come with messages of peace, sure… but not on the back of massively minimising the devastating effect the NI conflict had, and still has, on the population that live there.

Lucy Connolly was jailed for 31 months after calling for hotels housing asylum seekers to be set on fire, and after due process of investigation and trial during which she had access to legal representation.

The youngsters in Kneecap have certainly done something on a similar axis, but there's an enormous difference in context. Connolly's tweet was read 310,000 times, was stated in all seriousness as part of an ongoing stream of anti-immigrant hate, and was shown to have directly contributed to actual violence and disorder as people acted on her incitement to violence. Kneecap's lyrics are in poor taste but are clearly song lyrics. If they amount to a serious attempt to call for violence and disruption then there would need to be a due process of law to try them, convict them, and sentence them if their defence (to which they are entitled) doesn't succeed in getting the case thrown out of court.

Agree.

Hers was a specific exhortation in a situation where someone could have acted immediately on it.

I don’t think Kneecap should be jailed.
I do think their comments should be condemned and their performances should be cancelled

Agreed

@RareGoalsVerge It's interesting because Connolly's supporters all said the same thing: it's just words, no one should be jailed for words. Now they want musicians to be jailed for words.

Were you alive 80 years ago?
My parents and ILs lived through the troubles. I was born during the troubles. They ended not even 30 years ago.
The inequality that was faced everyday was massive.
You don't get to spout anti Irish hatred and say it's because you're also from a marginalised group.

when people have to move out of their houses for the weekend because of the violence and real danger of the marches. That the council doesn’t seem to want to stop. Such moral high ground speeches are ridiculous.

I’m not sure what you mean by “moral high ground speeches”
I agree something should be done about the intimidation of the 12th July marches etc .
And I also think Kneecap shouldn’t be given a platform to glorify terrorism.
Both views are completely compatible.

I didn’t mean you. I was referring to a quote above from the Democratic union this party saying they needed an emergency meeting to discuss Kneecap. They are taking the moral high ground when as far as I can see they haven’t managed to condemn the marches

Are you seriously trying to cast doubt on the decimation of the Irish language? For someone who thinks we should all move on you're being very goady.

The DUP have no right to take the moral high ground. When they remove the trashy elements of hate towards Catholic people they might have a slim chance.
They encourage hate in their culture.
And I also think Kneecap shouldn’t be given a platform to glorify terrorism.
No, none of them should, as usual it is one sided faux shock.

Aah - I see. I agree with you there.

Indeed. And the process to determine whether any given set of words is "just words" vs "an incitement to violence and a hate crime", which isn't a sharp or clearly definable boundary, is a court of law. Not thr court of public opinion on social media.

Not sure what your point is - We all know Mumsnet is not a court of law.
Its absolutely ok for people on social media to express their concerns about calls to kill MPs? No one here is claiming the power to send Kneecap to prison…..

Personally - I think a public call to kill MPs IS inciting violence.
Particularly when it comes from a band who wear clothing that alludes to terrorism and who call themselves a name that refers to a brutal terrorist punishment …

I don’t think they should be jailed though .
I MO they should not be given a platform to perform anymore and should be publicly condemned for their language ( we don’t need a judge to tell us their language is hateful)

and their performances should be cancelled

Banning things doesn't work. It will just inflame. Kneecap are now fully aware that statements they made at a concert 2 years ago is having a massive impact on their future careers. They are not going to repeat it they have apologised why do you want to continually censor them? They have tens of thousands of fans let them get on with their gigs which will now obviously be highly monitored which they know. Honestly can we move on from banning, it is unnecessary and will inflame not help.