Kneecap accuse authorities of trying to 'silence' them
By ROBERT FOLKER
Irish rap trio Kneecap claim the charging of one of their members with a terror offence in the UK is intended to 'silence' them.
Liam O'Hanna, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, is alleged to have displayed a flag in support of terrorist group Hezbollah while the controversial hip-hop group performed at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town last year.
The Met Police said the rapper, from Belfast, was showing the flag 'in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation'.
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The force's counter terror unit conducted an investigation into the event, which took place on November 21, after they were shown a video in late April.
Hezbollah is a banned terror organisation and it is a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act 2000 to 'invite support' for it.
O'Hanna is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 18 June.
In a statement on Thursday morning on X, the hip-hop group described the charge as 'political policing'.
'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,' the group said.
Irish rap trio Kneecap said the charging of one of their members with a terror offence in the UK is intended to 'silence' them . Pictured: O'Hanna, left, with bandmates DJ Provai and Moglai Bap
Liam O'Hanna (pictured) is alleged to have displayed a flag in support of terrorist group Hezbollah while the controversial hip-hop group performed at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town last year.
Kneecap, named after the paramilitary punishment of shooting someone in the knee, shot to fame at the start of the year when their fictitious anti-British film scooped an array of industry awards
'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 ability to travel. To prevent us speaking to young people across the world. To silence voices of compassion. To prosecute artists who dare speak out.
'Instead of defending innocent people, or the principles of international law they claim to uphold, the powerful in Britain have abetted slaughter and famine in Gaza, just as they did in Ireland for centuries.
'Then, like now, they claim justification. The IDF units they arm and fly spy plane missions for are the real terrorists, the whole world can see it.
'WE STAND PROUDLY WITH THE PEOPLE. YOU STAND COMPLICIT WITH THE WAR CRIMINALS. WE ARE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY. YOU ARE NOT. WE WILL FIGHT YOU IN YOUR COURT. WE WILL WIN. FREE PALESTINE.'
Kneecap, named after the paramilitary punishment of shooting someone in the knee, shot to fame at the start of the year when their fictitious anti-British film scooped an array of industry awards.
They are known for merging Irish and English in their music alongside politically charged and satirical lyrics. The group dress in balaclavas and promote themselves using images of petrol bombs.
The rap trio have been involved in a series of high-profile controversies in response to the war in Gaza, which has seen them banned from concerts and calls for their Glastonbury set this summer to be axed.
The Met Police said the rapper, from Belfast , was showing the flag 'in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation'
O'Hanna is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 18 June. Pictured: Performing at Coachella
Campaign Against Antisemitism, which reported Kneecap to counter-terrorism police, posted on X: 'We are pleased to see the police have acted swiftly. Hamas and Hezbollah are both proscribed terrorist organisations in the UK. The law must be enforced.'
The band consists of Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara from Belfast and DJ Próvaí, who comes from Derry. They have established an avid fanbase in the US, performing at Coachella this year.
Earlier this month, the Metropolitan Police said Kneecap were being investigated by counter-terrorism police after videos emerged allegedly showing the band calling for the deaths of MPs and shouting 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah'.
The Belfast rap trio have had gigs cancelled after the footage emerged, but are still listed to headline Friday's Wide Awake day festival in Brixton's Brockwell Park.
The group apologised last month to the families of murdered MPs but said footage of the incident had been 'exploited and weaponised'.
They also said they have 'never supported' Hamas or Hezbollah, which are banned in the UK.
The trio also received criticism and censorship over its music and were in dispute with now-Tory leader Kemi Badenoch when the group launched a discrimination case.
They were blocked by the former Conservative government from receiving a grant aimed at supporting UK artists, despite their application being successful.
The rap trio have been involved in a series of high-profile controversies in response to the war in Gaza, which has seen them banned from concerts and calls for their Glastonbury set this summer to be axed
The trio also received criticism and censorship over its music and were in dispute with now-Tory leader Kemi Badenoch when the group launched a discrimination case. Pictured: Mo Chara (left) and Moglai Bap at Coachella
The Department of Business and Trade, which was headed by Ms Badenoch at the time, said they did not want to give taxpayers' money to people who 'oppose the United Kingdom itself'.
The group took legal action against the government, claiming the decision was discriminatory and won in November 2024, receiving £14,250 – the total amount of the original grant.
The trio donated the money to two youth organisations in Belfast, splitting it between a nationalist and a unionist area.
In 2024, the band released an eponymous debut film starring Oscar-nominated actor Michael Fassbender which is a fictionalised retelling of how the band came together.
The film was nominated for six Baftas and took home the award for outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer.
It was also among the big winners at the Irish Film and Television Academy (Ifta), scooping four awards including best director for Rich Peppiatt.
But victims of Republican and Loyalist terror atrocities later said they were appalled that vast sums of taxpayers' and National Lottery cash was spent on the movie.
The project received £810,000 from the National Lottery in four payments via the British Film Institute.
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