Kneecap ‘plasters' London with message of support for group member due in court
Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig in November last year.
The 27-year-old is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday following the alleged incident during a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London.
The charge Og O hAnnaidh faces alleges he displayed a flag in a public place, 'in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation' – namely Hezbollah.
Kneecap described the prosecution as a 'witch hunt' in a post on X on Tuesday evening.
The post including a short video which appeared to show a billboard that had been displayed in London with the words 'more blacks, more dogs, more Irish, Mo Chara'.
The Metropolitan Police said the force had charged O hAnnaidh, who appears on the court list as Liam O'Hanna, after initially being made aware of a video from the gig at the O2 Forum which had been posted online.
In a separate event shortly after the terrorism charge, O hAnnaidh could be seen in social media videos entering the stage with tape covering his mouth.
The Met previously said the Belfast rap trio were under investigation after clips posted online appeared to show the band calling for the deaths of MPs and shouting 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah'.
Kneecap said they have 'never supported' Hamas or Hezbollah, both of which are banned in the UK.
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Sky News
18 minutes ago
- Sky News
Kneecap rapper appears in court on terror charge - as protesters gather outside
A member of Irish-language rap group Kneecap has appeared in court in London after being charged with a terror offence - as hundreds of protesters gathered outside. Liam O'Hanna, or Liam Og O hAnnaidh, is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK, at a gig last year. The charge against the 27-year-old, from Belfast, was brought last month after counter-terror officers assessed a video reported to be from a Kneecap concert at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London, on 21 November 2024. O'Hanna arrived at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, as a crowd of fans and supporters gathered with placards and flags outside. During a short appearance, O'Hanna confirmed his name and address, and was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing on 20 August. Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring told him he must attend court on that day. Kneecap released their first single in 2017 and rose to wider prominence in 2024 following the release of their debut album and award-winning eponymous film - a fictionalised retelling of how the band came together and their fight to save the Irish language. The group are known for their provocative lyrics and merchandise - and have been vocally opposed to Israel's military action in Gaza. O'Hanna performs under the stage name Mo Chara, while O Caireallain is known as Moglai Bap, and O Dochartaigh as DJ Provai. They have built a following for their hedonistic anti-establishment tracks, but their outspoken stance has proved polarising - prompting a surge in streaming for their songs and, at the same time, resulting in several of their gigs being cancelled this year. Last year, they won a discrimination case against the UK government after Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch tried to refuse them a £14,250 funding award when she was business secretary. Please refresh the page for the latest version.
South Wales Guardian
19 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Kneecap greeted by hundreds at court as rap group member faces terrorism charge
Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig in November last year. The 27-year-old arrived at court on Wednesday with the other two members of the Belfast trio – Naoise O Caireallain, and J J O Dochartaigh. Kneecap said London had been 'plastered' with messages of support before the hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, with a billboard displaying the words 'more blacks, more dogs, more Irish, Mo Chara' seen in the Lambeth area. O hAnnaidh is due to appear in court following an alleged incident during a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London. The charge O hAnnaidh faces alleges he displayed a flag in a public place, 'in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation' – namely Hezbollah. Kneecap described the prosecution as a 'witch hunt' in a post on X on Tuesday evening. A huge scrum of their hundreds of supports greeted them as they slowly made their way to the entrance of the court building. The band were wearing 'Free Mo Chara' T-shirts. Supporters gathered outside the court building from early in the morning, holding placards saying 'Free Mo Chara' and 'Defend Kneecap'. A mixture of Palestinian and Kneecap flags were being held by some of the crowd, and cheers were heard after an ad van drove past displaying the slogan 'More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish, Mo Chara'. Austrian Alexandra Kennedy, who had travelled from her home country to show support, said: 'I think that Kneecap are important to so many people that if Liam Og O hAnnaidh gets a heavy sentence, then maybe people will lose something, they need the connection to Kneecap.' Copywriter Victoria Ashworth travelled from her home in Brighton with her daughter Lily to attend the protest. Ms Ashworth, 53, said: 'I just feel like the charges are utterly ridiculous. I believe in freedom of speech.' Police removed a pro-Israel protester who walked into the crowd wearing an Israeli flag which prompted boos, swearing and shouts of 'free Palestine'. The crowd became animated and shouted 'Israel is a terrorist state' and 'take him out for his own safety' as he made gestures and argued with protesters. Police surrounded the man as the crowd moved towards him, with protesters cheering as he was removed. The Metropolitan Police said the force had charged O hAnnaidh, who appears on the court list as Liam O'Hanna, after initially being made aware of a video from the gig at the O2 Forum which had been posted online. In a separate event shortly after the terrorism charge, O hAnnaidh could be seen in social media videos entering the stage with tape covering his mouth. The Met previously said Kneecap were under investigation after clips posted online appeared to show the band calling for the deaths of MPs and shouting 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah'. The rap trio said they have 'never supported' Hamas or Hezbollah, both of which are banned in the UK.
Scottish Sun
24 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Kneecap rapper arrives at court after ‘Hezbollah flag' terror charge surrounded by mob of supporters
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE lead singer of rap trio Kneecap was mobbed by supporters as he arrived at court this morning accused of a terrorism offence. Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig in November last year. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh arriving at Westminster magistrate Court this morning Credit: Getty 7 Kneecap member, DJ Provai, is mobbed by fans outside the court Credit: Reuters 7 Kneecap's Naoise O Caireallain cheers as he's surrounded by fans Credit: PA The 27-year-old is due to go before magistrates in Westminster today following the alleged incident during a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London. Og O hAnnaidh, as well as fellow members Naoise O Caireallain, and J J O Dochartaigh, arrived to a scrum of hundreds of their supporters who cheered as their vehicle pulled up. However, pro-Israel demonstrators also held a counter protest, with police keeping both groups separate. The band were wearing "Free Mo Chara" T-shirts as they arrived at the central London court. The members of Kneecap walked up the stairs of the court and looked over the balcony, smiling and giving a thumbs up to their hundreds of supporters gathered outside. A crowd of supporters had surged around the entrance as the band arrived, with some also entering the lobby. The charge Og O hAnnaidh faces alleges he displayed a flag in a public place, "in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation" - namely Hezbollah. Kneecap described the prosecution as a "witch hunt" in a post on X on Tuesday evening. The post including a short video which appeared to show a billboard that had been displayed in London with the words "more blacks, more dogs, more Irish, Mo Chara". Supporters began to gather outside the court building on Wednesday morning holding placards saying "Free Mo Chara" and "Defend Kneecap". Kneecap perform surprise gig in London hours after rapper Liam O'Hanna, 27, charged with terror offence A mixture of Palestinian and Kneecap flags were being held by some of the crowd, and cheers were heard after an ad van drove past displaying the slogan "More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish, Mo Chara". Austrian Alexandra Kennedy, who had travelled from her home country to show support, said: "I think that Kneecap are important to so many people that if Liam Og O hAnnaidh gets a heavy sentence, then maybe people will lose something, they need the connection to Kneecap." Copywriter Victoria Ashworth travelled from her home in Brighton with her daughter Lily to attend the protest. Ms Ashworth, 53, said: "I just feel like the charges are utterly ridiculous. I believe in freedom of speech." Police removed a pro-Israel protester who walked into the crowd wearing an Israeli flag which prompted boos, swearing and shouts of "free Palestine". The crowd became animated and shouted "Israel is a terrorist state" and "take him out for his own safety" as he made gestures and argued with protesters. Police surrounded the man as the crowd moved towards him, with protesters cheering as he was removed. The Metropolitan Police said the force had charged O hAnnaidh, who appears on the court list as Liam O'Hanna, after initially being made aware of a video from the gig at the O2 Forum which had been posted online. In a separate event shortly after the terrorism charge, O hAnnaidh could be seen in social media videos entering the stage with tape covering his mouth. Kneecap said they have "never supported" Hamas or Hezbollah, both of which are banned in the UK. 7 Og O Hannaidh is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbolla Credit: PA 7 Pro-Israel protesters try to counter-protest Credit: EPA 7 A fan dressed as Adolf Hitler Credit: EPA
