Kneecap band member in court facing terror charge
Protesters wearing balaclavas gathered outside court for the appearance of a member of the band Kneecap.
Liam O'Hanna, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, has been accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at one of their concerts in November 2024.
The 27-year-old arrived at Westminster magistrates' court on Wednesday morning following the alleged incident at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London.
A handful of Kneecap fans gathered outside the court holding a mixture of Palestinian and Kneecap flags.
Police removed a pro-Israel protester who walked into the crowd wearing an Israeli flag, prompting boos, swearing and shouts of 'free Palestine'.
The terror charge against O'Hanna has alleged that he displayed a flag for the terror group 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'.
Kneecap described the prosecution as a 'witch hunt' in a post on X on Tuesday evening.
The post included a short video showing 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 Mr O'Hanna after initially being made aware of a video from the gig that had been posted online.
In a separate event shortly after the terrorism charge, Mr O'Hanna could be seen in social media videos entering the stage with tape covering his mouth.
The Met Police 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'.
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