Kneecap facing US travel ban if Mo Chara is convicted of terror charge

Sunday World

2 days ago

Kneecap member Mo Chara is due at Westminster Magistrates Court on June 18. If convicted, he will automatically be barred from entering the States
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 2: (L-R) Mo Chara, DJ Próvaí and Móglaí Bap of, Irish rap group, Kneecap pose for a portrait shoot outside the Hawthorn Pub in West Belfast on June 2, 2024 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Photo by)
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - MAY 23: A message supporting Kneecap can be seen on Belfast's Black Mountain showing the words 'Kneecap Abu' which translates to "Up Kneecap" or "Kneecap Forever" in white lettering on May 23, 2025 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The signage comes after a member of the Irish language hip-hop group Kneecap, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terror offence after allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed organisation Hezbollah after an incident on 21 November 2024 at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London. Mr Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday 18 June.. (Photo by)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 09: (L-R) Director Rich Peppiatt, and Móglaí Bap, Dj Provaí, Mo Chara of Kneecap and Producer Trevor Birney attend the "Kneecap" Premiere during the 2024 Tribeca Festival at Village East Cinema on June 09, 2024 in New York City. (Photo byfor Tribeca Festival)
Kneecap are facing a travel ban in the US if Mo Chara is convicted under anti-terrorism legislation, the Sunday World has learned.
The band is still scheduled to play a series of gigs across North America in October, with a number of them already sold out.
The trio are due to play New York, Boston, Minneapolis Philadelphia, Nashville and Washington with other gigs scheduled for Kentucky, Seattle and San Francisco.
They are also due at a number of sell-out gigs in Canada – all of which are still being advertised despite controversy surrounding the London Met's charging of Ó hAnnaidh for allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed Lebanese organisation Hezbollah at a concert in London last November.
He is due at Westminster Magistrates Court on June 18. If convicted, he will automatically be barred from entering the States.
Industry sources say they are 'facing an onslaught'' from political leaders and from 'powerful elements' within the music industry determined to silence them.
Graffitti in support of Kneecap appeared on walls in West Belfast.
'The boys will not stay quiet, they are not going away,' said our source, 'in many ways they have become a cypher for something much bigger than them, they are on the right side of history.'
The Sunday World understands the band's appearance at Glastonbury at the end of June is not currently under threat despite political pressure on the organisers.
And they have a whole summer planned of festival appearances across Europe, the first of which was the Wide Awake Festival in south London on Friday where 20,000 fans filled Brockwell Park in Brixton.
The Sunday World understands representatives from Glastonbury and other summer festivals were at Friday's show.
The band has the backing of many musicians – Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher among them, while Sir Elton John has lauded them and on Friday, Sir Rod Stewart was seen in the wings watching the Kneecap set.
Last night award-winning film-maker Trevor Birney, who made a Bafta-winning biopic of the band, said the group was now at the forefront of a global awakening to what's happening in Gaza.
'Kneecap are now cast in that global story. It's not where they wanted or intended to be, but they are shining a light on what is happening in Gaza at a time when political leaders around the world don't want to talk about it,' he said.
'They are speaking for young people around the world, telling them this is genocide. They have transcended the established political order.'
He said their message came at a time when Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg were shutting down free speech on social media, and mainstream media was increasingly restricted.
'Public spaces for people to be informed are getting smaller,' he said.
'Soon the only place to get the truth across is from the stage.'
He said there was more than enough material for a second Kneecap movie, but that is some way off.
It is understood the band no longer hold valid visas following their controversial appearance at the Coachella festival in California in April. They used their gig in the Californian desert to highlight the genocide in Palestine.
With neon signs proclaiming 'f**k Israel'' thousands of fans chanted 'Free Free Palestine.'
The band has refused to step back from despite attempts to have them cancelled. A number of festivals in Europe have been cancelled but they are due to play events in Denmark, Netherlands and the Czech Republic before returning at the of June for a sell-out concert in Dublin.
Then comes Glastonbury on June 28. Festival organisers have come under pressure from politicians and ministers to drop the Belfast rappers from the line-up.
They are then due to play in front of 40,000 fans at Belfast's Boucher Playing Fields where they will support Dublin's Fontaines DC at the end of August.
Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara. Photo: Lorne Thomson/Redferns
By then they will have also played in Greece, Scandanavia, Belgium, France and the UK.
After a surprise gig at the 100 Club in London on Wednesday following Mo Chara's arrest, they took to the stage on Friday in from of 20,000 fans at the Wide Awake Festival in south London.
Mo Chara told the crowd the authorities were 'trying to silence us' before Glastonbury and urged fans not to be 'on the wrong side of history'.
'I know we're out, we're enjoying ourselves and we're trying to listen to some tunes at a festival... believe me lads, I wish I didn't have to do this,' he said.
'Let's remember how lucky we are to be in a field with our friends and not being bombed from the sky,' Mo Chara said.
He said the US administration had been embarrassed to see thousands of Americans chanting 'Free Palestine', describing Glastonbury as the UK's Coachella.
An estimated 54,000 people including 16,500 children have died in Israel's bombing campaign launched in the wake of Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023 which resulted in 1,200 deaths and 251 people being taken hostage.
Organisers of Friday's Brixton event confirmed in a statement earlier this month that the gig would go ahead after they had held 'positive discussions with key stakeholders'.
'Wide Awake Festival has a proud history of supporting the alternative music scene and we look forward to staging another unforgettable event showcasing the very best emerging and established talent,' they said.
But other Kneecap gigs have been cancelled including at the Eden Project in Cornwall and Plymouth Pavilions.