Kneecap’s Liam Og O hAnnaidh, known by his stage name Mo Chara, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 18.
The rapper, who is part of the Belfast rap group alongside Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí (real names Naoise Ó Cairealláin, and J J Ó Dochartaigh), was charged with a terror offence over an incident at a gig in the O2 in north London.
The 27-year-old was accused of displaying a flag in support of the Lebanese Shia Islamist political party, Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK.
Arriving at the Magistrates Court, the artist wore dark black sunglasses and a dark jacket with a white and black scarf sitting on his shoulders.
Hundreds of supporters cheered as he arrived at court alongside his bandmates. The bandmates were both wearing T-shirts that read ‘Free Mo Chara.’
The group smiled and gave their fans the thumbs up as they walked up the stairs to the court.
Some surged through the entrance and entered the lobby of the magistrates’ court, just before the hearing.
The artist arrived as protesters and counter protesters demonstrated outside of the courtroom, some in support of his actions, and others in protest.
Earlier in the morning, police removed a pro-Israel protester who wore an Israeli flag on their shoulders, provoking boos and swearing from the crowd.
At one point, an advertisement van drove past the court, emblazoned with the support slogan used for Mo Chara – More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish, Mo Chara.
Kneecap was formed in 2017 and has risen to prominence in recent years with songs including C.E.A.R.T.A, H.O.O.D. and Get Your Brits Out.
The band has been vocal in their unerring support of Palestine, frequently using their performances and social media pages to speak about the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
On the night of the incident in question, Mo Chara is alleged to have displayed the flag ‘in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation.’
The incident is alleged to have happened at a concert last November – but the Metropolitan Police said it was only made aware of video evidence in April.
The full charge read: ‘On November 21, 2024, in a public place, namely the O2 Forum, Kentish Town, London, displayed an article, namely a flag, in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation, namely Hezbollah, contrary to section 13(1)(b) and (3) of the Terrorism Act 2000.’
In a statement issued in response to the charge, Kneecap said on social media on May 22: ‘14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again, the British establishment is focused on us.
‘We deny this “offence” and will vehemently defend ourselves. This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction. We are not the story. Genocide is. As they profit from genocide, they use an ‘anti-terror law’ against us for displaying a flag thrown on stage.
‘A charge not serious enough to even warrant their “crown court”, instead a court that doesn’t have a jury. What’s the objective?
‘To restrict our travel ability. To prevent us speaking to young people across the world. To silence voices of compassion. To prosecute artists who dare to speak out.’
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