Kneecap to release new track ahead of headline slot at London festival: ‘Kemi Badenoch you might wanna sit down for this one'
Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, has been charged over the alleged display of a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, in November last year, the Metropolitan Police said on Wednesday.
The group, who rap in the Irish language, have a headline slot at Wide Awake Festival in Brockwell Park, south London, later on Friday night.
In a post on social media, the band said they have 'some day coming up'.
"We've a brand new landing in our WhatsApp channel at 1pm,' they wrote.
'Kemi Badenoch you might wanna sit down for this one...if you've any seats left.
'Then we're at Wide Awake in Brockwell Park London for a headline show to 15,000 legends tonight.'
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The reference from the band to Ms Badenoch is part of an ongoing back and forward stretching back to last year, after Kneecap won their discrimination case against the previous government, when the Conservative leader refused the trio funding in her then ministerial role.
Last year, the UK Government conceded it was 'unlawful' that the group were refused a £14,250 funding award by Ms Badenoch.
Kneecap launched legal action claiming the decision to refuse the grant discriminated against them on grounds of nationality and political opinion.
It comes after the band held a surprise gig at the 100 Club on Oxford Street on Thursday, where O hAnnaidh could be seen in videos on social media arriving on stage with tape covering his mouth.
He then joked about being careful what he said before saying he wanted to thank his lawyer.
He said: 'I need to thank my lawyer he's here tonight as well.'
Police said they were at the central London venue on Thursday evening to manage visitors to the sold-out event.
The band said on X that the event sold out in 90 seconds, with 2,000 people on the waiting list.
On Monday, a spokesperson for several planned music festivals due to take place in Brockwell Park in Lambeth said none will be cancelled following a High Court ruling over planning permission.
Last week, Rebekah Shaman, a resident in the area and a member of the Protect Brockwell Park group, successfully brought legal action against Lambeth Council over the use of parts of the park for the festivals.
In a ruling last week, Mr Justice Mould said that the authority's decision to certify the planned use of the land as lawful was 'irrational'.
Lawyers for Ms Shaman and the Protect Brockwell Park group wrote to the council following the ruling, asking it to 'confirm that the event has been cancelled' and to clear any fencing or infrastructure, and stating that Brockwell Live did not have planning permission.
But on Monday, a spokesperson for Brockwell Live said that no events would be cancelled, with Lambeth Council confirming that the event's organisers, Summer Events Limited, had reapplied for planning permission.
O hAnnaidh, 27, was charged by postal requisition and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 18, the Metropolitan Police said.
Kneecap: A timeline of controversy and success
In response to the charge, the group said in a social media statement: '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.'
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 rap trio have had gigs cancelled after the footage emerged but are still listed to headline Wide Awake.
They 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.
Ms Badenoch has called for Kneecap to be banned while other politicians pushed for the group to be dropped from the Glastonbury Festival line-up.
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