Kneecap greeted by hundreds at court as rap group member faces terrorism charge
A member of rap trio Kneecap has arrived at court to face a terrorism charge as hundreds of people turned out with placards and flags in a show of support.
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.
Og 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 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.
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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Woman's missing Rolex focus of murder probe
A missing Rolex watch may be linked to the death of a woman who was found stabbed in her home in north London, the Metropolitan Police has said. Jennifer Abbott, also known as Sarah Steinberg, was found by her niece and neighbours at her home in Mornington Place, Camden on 13 June. The neighbour said she had been left with tape across her mouth. The 69-year-old was last seen walking her pet Corgi in Camden on 10 June, before she was found fatally injured three days later. While detectives are keeping an open mind about the possible motive for the murder, they are appealing for information about the watch which they believe is missing from Ms Abbot's address. The watch has a distinctive diamond-encrusted face. Ch Supt Jason Stewart said: "We are working closely with our colleagues in the homicide team to establish exactly what happened and it's incredibly important that we hear from anyone who may have knowledge about how this awful death occurred." A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: "My son broke the door down. We heard her niece shouting: 'Somebody help me, somebody help' and we went out and asked 'what's wrong?' "She said: 'I haven't heard from my aunty in four days. Something's wrong - break the door down'. "I was holding the door open downstairs and my son was upstairs and then I heard her niece screaming and saying: 'Oh my God, she's been murdered'. She had tape across her mouth. "Her corgi was locked in the bathroom for three days. That poor dog, he couldn't even drink any water, it's amazing he was even still alive." She said Ms Abbott was "mysterious, and very smart and intelligent". "We would chat in the street most of the time. I used to walk around the block with her with her dog," she said. "She had done a lot of things in her life. She was a doctor but she was also an actor and director in America. She'd directed a movie and I looked at it on YouTube and saw her interviewed in Los Angeles. "She was a character, she was lovely," she said. Ch Supt Jason Stewart added that "someone must have seen or heard something and no piece of information is too small. "It could be the crucial clue that leads us to identify Jennifer's murderer." A post-mortem examination carried out on Sunday gave cause of death as sharp force trauma. No arrests have been made in connection with her death. Extra police patrols are continuing in the area. Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Metropolitan Police
Fox News
4 hours ago
- Fox News
'Bridgerton' star thought she was 'going to be killed' during terrifying robbery that left her traumatized
It's been months since "Bridgerton" actress Genevieve Chenneour fought off a thief who attempted to rob her. Now, the British star is opening up about the terrifying ordeal that left her permanently traumatized. In a new interview with The Times, the 27-year-old — who was in a London cafe when her phone was stolen off the table behind her in February — detailed the moment she instinctively decided to fight her assailant and the lasting impact the incident has had on her since then. As seen in footage obtained by Fox News Digital, 18-year-old Zacariah Boulares grabbed Chenneour's phone while the actress — who was accompanied by her then-boyfriend Carlo Kureishi — was sitting on a stool waiting for her drink order. After quickly realizing what had happened, Chenneour confronted the thief. "It was complete instinct," she told The Times. "I wouldn't advocate for anyone doing something that would put them at risk. "The footage everyone has seen was actually the tamest part," she added. "I got on his back while [Kureishi] was on the floor holding him down. Then he threatened to stab me, and I thought I was going to be killed. I was terrified." Chenneour said she was struck on the head and briefly lost consciousness during the ordeal. WATCH: 'BRIDGERTON' ACTRESS FIGHTS OFF THIEF WHO TRIED TO STEAL HER PHONE IN LONDON CAFE "My doctor later confirmed I had a concussion. I had dizzy spells for weeks afterwards and I was terrified of going out alone," she admitted. "I still am." Boulares had 12 prior convictions, including for threatening to behead the Welsh singer Aled Jones with a 20-inch machete in July 2023, according to The Times. He had served just 14 months of a 24-month sentence for that crime. Boulares pleaded guilty last month when he appeared in Westminster magistrates court. "He needs to go to prison, and he needs psychological care," Chenneour told The Times. "If criminals are not rehabilitated properly they'll likely commit more — maybe worse — crimes." In the months following the incident, Chenneour — who is no longer in a relationship with Kureishi — said she hit "rock bottom." "After the phone incident and the break-up, I just hit rock bottom. Maybe this all has to happen so I can start afresh. It's been a major shock for me — and terrifying — but now I can prioritize my career, myself and my friends." Appearing on "This Morning" on June 12, Chenneour recalled the ordeal as becoming a matter of "life and death" at the time. "It kind of went round the corner, and it turned into a full-on scrap with two people [Boulares and his accomplice]," she said. "And I was threatened with being stabbed, so it became a real matter, in my mind, of life and death. "So, I did things like, I remember kicking him back with my leg to create space in case he had a weapon on him… It was just a life-changing, crazy moment," she added. The star admitted that the scuffle left her afraid to leave her home. "I didn't want to go outside," she said. "I mean, as a woman, we already, I think, have our wits about us around strangers and random men. So, to have this happen to me while dealing with that base level that a lot of women have, just made me quite agoraphobic. Leaving the house was really hard."
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Tougher sentences for criminals who abuse LGBT people ‘vital step forward'
Tougher sentences for violent offenders who hurt people based on their sexuality would mark a 'vital step forward', a Labour MP has said. Jacob Collier called for new aggravated offences as part of the Government's Crime and Policing Bill, as he warned many LGBT+ people 'don't feel safe in reporting hate'. More than 100 cross-party MPs backed the proposed amendment, originally put forward by Rachel Taylor, which would create the new offences if violent crimes are motivated by hostility towards a person's sexuality, transgender identity or disability. Home Office minister Dame Diana Johnson has vowed to broaden the framework for aggravated offences. Mr Collier said: 'I know what it means to think twice how you walk down the street, to pause before holding somebody's hand, to wonder whether that shout from across the road is something you can ignore or something you can't afford to. 'And I know that I'm not alone in that. 'I've spoken to my constituents and people from far beyond who tell me that they don't feel safe in reporting hate when it happens. They don't believe that they'll be taken seriously and there's a profound failure of trust, and one that we in this House have a duty to repair.' The Burton and Uttoxeter MP also told the Commons: 'I think it's also fitting that we are introducing this amendment in Pride Month, and in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling which has caused so much anguish amongst the trans community.' He said the move 'represents a vital step forward in the protection of some of the most marginalised people within our society' and added: 'Too many victims still believe that the system is not on their side and this new clause gives us the opportunity to change that. It gives police and prosecutors a clear route to charge and convict offenders in a way that truly reflects the nature of these crimes.' Mr Collier said the proposed change was 'about dignity, about recognising that whether you're a trans teenager being punched in the park, a gay couple being spat on on the Tube, or a disabled man being harassed on his way to work, all people deserve the full protection of the law'. Aggravated offences would also offer 'vital protection for disabled people, who often remain far too invisible in the public conversation around hate crime', he added. The law already provides for aggravated offences, if they are motivated by hostility towards a victim's race or religious group membership. 'That discrepancy cannot be right. We cannot as a society say that some forms of hatred are more evil than others,' Ms Taylor told the Commons. The Labour MP for North Warwickshire and Bedworth added she was 'at university when section 28 was introduced', part of the Local Government Act 1988 which banned town halls from promoting or teaching 'the acceptability of' homosexuality in schools. 'I remember it vividly, it was more than the law, it was an attack on the right of people like me to live openly,' she said. 'It stigmatised lesbians, gays and bisexual people, it pushed us out of public life. 'I got into politics to fight that cruel law and everything it represented.' Ms Taylor said her amendment would be 'an important step forward for equal rights'. Marie Tidball, the Labour MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge who also backed the amendment, said the proposal 'would foster respect and equality for all by ensuring justice for disabled victims of hate crime'. Responding to the debate, Dame Diana branded these crimes 'disgraceful', and said the increase in hate crime towards transgender people 'cannot be tolerated'. On the proposed new clause, Dame Diana said: 'The Government supports this change, as set out in our manifesto last year. 'And I can confirm to the House that we will bring forward a suitable Government amendment to give effect to this commitment in the Lords at committee stage.'
