Hundreds of protesters turn up to support Irish rapper as he appears in court on terror charge

CNN

12 hours ago

A rapper from Irish language rap group Kneecap was greeted by hundreds of supporters waving flags and holding banners as he arrived in court on Wednesday morning on a terror charge.
Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs as Mo Chara, has been accused of displaying a flag in support of the Lebanese group, Hezbollah who are a designated terror group in the UK.
London's Metropolitan Police launched an investigation in April after a video surfaced online of Ó hAnnaidh allegedly displaying the flag during a London gig in 2024. Ó hAnnaidh has denied the charges, saying he does not support Hezbollah and called his prosecution a 'carnival of distraction' deflecting from current events in Gaza.
A scrum with photographers broke out as Ó hAnnaidh arrived at London's Westminster Magistrates Court, alongside fellow bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, as crowds waved Palestinian flags and chanted loudly, 'Free Mo Chara.'
Ó hAnnaidh spoke to confirm his name, date of birth and address to the court at the start of the hearing.
The court heard legal arguments, with Ó hAnnaidh's defense team seeking to throw the case out, arguing it was not brought within the legal limit of six months.
Judge Paul Goldspring adjourned the case until September 26, when he will give his decision.
The 27-year-old left court without entering a plea, and will be required to appear at the next hearing. Leaving the courthouse, he was met with chants of 'Drop the charges now' from his supporters.
The investigation was launched shortly after an appearance by the band at the California music festival, Coachella, at which they projected messages onstage about Israel's war in Gaza.
On Tuesday evening, police announced public order restrictions on the protests in order to 'prevent serious disruption,' confining gatherings to a designated area outside the court.
From early on Wednesday morning, crowds of protesters congregated outside the central London court.
Speaking to CNN, one supporter, Mike McCusker, 62, said he had been following Kneecap since 2019. 'I've seen them a dozen times, they've always stood against oppression,' he said.
Kneecap, who rap mainly in Irish, have steadily built up an international fanbase, gaining praise for their efforts to revitalize the Irish language.
Formed in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 2017, the band have sought to modernize the language through their rap songs depicting their experiences growing up in the wake of a decades long sectarian conflict, the Troubles. Laden with references to drug and alcohol use and critiques of the British government, the band's music has made them no stranger to controversy over the years.
In 2024, the trio released their second studio album 'Fine Art' and a self-titled semi-autobiographical feature film which won acclaim from critics and scooped up awards at both the British Independent Film Awards and the Sundance Film Festival.
The band have been long-time advocates for the rights of Palestinians.
Their performance at UK music festival Glastonbury in June became mired in controversy after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the group should not have been allowed to perform in light of the charges faced by Ó hAnnaidh.
The group are next set to play at several more European festivals this summer before a headline gig in London's Wembley Arena on September 18.
CNN's Sophie Tanno contributed reporting.