Billy Bragg explains support for Kneecap: “I do not believe that creative expression should be subject to criminal charges”

Billy Bragg has explained why he supports Kneecap amid one of the members being charged with a terror offence.

• READ MORE: Kneecap on the cover – giving peace, protest and partying a chance

The comments come amid news that Mo Chara, one member of the Irish hip-hop trio, had been charged by the Metropolitan Police for allegedly displaying a flag in support of the proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah last year.

The band have consistently denied supporting either Hamas or Hezbollah, and stated that they would not incite or condone violence against any individuals. They have also argued that the footage had been taken out of context, while describing the legal action as a “carnival of distraction”.

Bragg first divided opinions by sharing his thoughts on Kneecap earlier this year. This came as controversy around the band first kicked off this year after their set at Coachella – which supposedly “blindsided” festival organisers.

Following the divisive gig, Kneecap’s label Heavenly Recordings responded to the controversy by issuing a letter defending the band under the banner, “We stand for freedom of expression”. It was then signed by over 100 leading artists, including Pulp, Fontaines D.C., IDLES, Massive Attack, Paul Weller, Tom Morello, Brian Eno and CMAT.

While Bragg shared that he stood with Kneecap amid the debate, he did not sign the open letter as the “wording lack[ed] any sense of nuance or understanding of why this whole furore kicked off”.

Now, following Mo Chara being charged, Bragg has spoken out again regarding his stance, saying that the legal action reflects a “disturbing and broader trend” that looks to restrict artists in rap.

“I caught some flak on here a week or two ago after explaining why I didn’t feel able to sign the artist’s letter defending Kneecap’s freedom of expression,” he began. “Some took it to mean that I didn’t support the band’s call for an end to the genocide in Gaza. That’s not the case – my problem was with the wording of the letter.

“I understand that it may have appeared to some that I was arguing semantics while atrocities were being committed, but my genuine concern is that the artists were taking a position that could undermine future efforts to hold the Israeli government to account, which is surely not their intent.”

Highlighting how he finds the “demand for free speech absolutism to be counter-productive”, he also noted how shows by Nick Cave and Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood have previously been scrapped due to public pressure, and that the wording of the letter could be seen as contradictory.

Adding why he backs Kneecap amid the arrest, Bragg said: “While I believe that being an artist doesn’t absolve you from taking responsibility for your actions, I do not believe that creative expression should be subject to criminal charges.”

He continued: “The charging of Kneecap’s Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh with a terrorism offence by the Metropolitan Police is the latest development of a disturbing and broader trend over the past few years during which the state has sought to criminalise creative expression.

“Since 2005, there have been over 100 cases in which prosecutors have put lyrics, music videos and audio recordings in front of juries to help secure criminal convictions… Specifically, police and prosecutors have used the act of writing, performing, or even engaging with rap music to suggest motive, intention, or propensity for criminal behaviour.”

He went on to share how there are vague, “sweeping definitions of ‘gang’ activity” that get thrown around when it comes to rap music, and that “music, lyrics, and videos are used to drag multiple people into criminal charges”. This, he added, “disproportionately affects young Black men and boys from under-resourced, marginalised communities”.

“Rap has always had a provocative edge and Kneecap are a radical part of that tradition. The fact that this prosecution has proceeded despite the band making it clear that they do not support Hamas or Hezbollah, and condemn all attacks on civilians, is illustrative of the manner in which the police are misrepresenting creative expression to suggest criminal activity.

“It’s a classic ‘gotcha’, a single instance of transgressive speech taken out of context and put before a jury to secure a conviction despite the lack of any corroborating evidence. In a manifestation of institutional racism, Black men and boys continue to be stereotyped by police seeking to send them to prison for writing lyrics, performing songs, or in some cases simply having a provocative tune on their phone.”

To conclude, Bragg shed light on the Art Not Evidence campaign group, which calls for “police and prosecutors to stop relying on irrelevant, unreliable, and highly prejudicial evidence in pursuit of convictions”, and “for defence lawyers to challenge prosecutors and for judges to exclude such evidence”.

At the start of last year, NME highlighted how, as of June 2023, over 240 people in the UK had been jailed after a court decision that was in part based on their involvement with rap music.

NME also attended the House of Commons and witnessed the panel chaired by Elli Brazzill – the founder of Art Not Evidence, who has previously worked for Warner Music, and is currently the Music Editor at Napster Music.

Brazzill said that the criminalisation of drill music impedes up-and-coming rappers, and that between 2020-2022, the Met Police requested 654 drill/rap videos to be taken down – with 635 requests successful.

The report also shared how Met Police requests to remove UK drill content from TikTok had also increased by 366 per cent since 2020.

You can find NME’s full coverage of the House Of Commons panel here, and find more about Art Not Evidence here.

As well as facing legal action, Kneecap’s controversy has also led to them having several festival appearances cancelled – including at Germany’s Hurricane Festival and Southside Festivals, Cornwall’s Eden Project, and a replacement show in Plymouth – as well as MPs calls to have them removed from the line-ups of TRNSMT, Glastonbury and more.

More recently, the members have jokingly addressed the discourse by urging fans to gather at Westminster with “a big bag of ket” for the terror charge hearing. They have also dropped their politically charged new single ‘The Recap’ featuring Mozey. During an intimate gig at London’s 100 Club last week, Mo Chara appeared with tape over his mouth.

The post Billy Bragg explains support for Kneecap: “I do not believe that creative expression should be subject to criminal charges” appeared first on NME.