Irish rap trio Kneecap have branded the charging of one of their members with a terror offence in the UK as “political policing” in a bid to “silence voices of compassion”.
Liam Og O hAannaidh has been charged over the alleged displaying of a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation, at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London, on 21 November.
The 27-year-old from Belfast in Northern Ireland – who performs under the stage name Mo Chara – is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 18 June.
In a statement on X, the group said: “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 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 court. We will win. Free Palestine.”
Officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command were made aware of a video circulating online on 22 April, the force said.
An investigation led to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) authorising the charge.
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Kneecap apologised last month to the families of murdered MPs after videos emerged allegedly showing the band calling for the deaths of MPs and shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”.
The group said footage of the incident had been “exploited and weaponised”, adding they have “never supported” Hamas or Hezbollah, which are banned in the UK.
The incident led to gigs being cancelled and calls for the band to be dropped from the Glastonbury Festival and TRNSMT line-ups.
The trio are due to headline Wide Awake Festival in south London on Friday.
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In an interview on Thursday morning, Ireland’s deputy premier said Hezbollah or Hamas should not be conflated with the cause of the Palestinian people.
Tanaiste Simon Harris said: “To take Hamas first, Hamas is a despicable terrorist organisation. It carried out a brutal terrorist attack in Israel that has been condemned by Ireland and all right-thinking people.
“They offer the people of Palestine no future of hope or positivity. They shouldn’t be in any way, shape or form given any succour – and aren’t – by Ireland.
“When it comes to Hezbollah, I’m also the minister for defence in this country. We’re fighting daily for justice for Private Sean Rooney. Hezbollah, again, is an illegal terrorist organisation that have brought pain, suffering and death to Irish peacekeepers.”
