Irish rap group Kneecap call on fans to turn up at court en masse to offer support during terror charge trial
Controversial Irish group Kneecap have urged their fans to turn up at court to support them when a band member faces a terror charge.
The band are set to spark fresh outrage after using their first festival headline gig to drum up support for them at next month's court appearance for band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, stage name Mo Chara.
They urged 20,000 fans at London 's Wide Awake festival on Friday night to attend Westminster Magistrates Court in central London on June 18 to support him.
The 27-year-old has been charged by the Metropolitan Police under the Terrorism Act for allegedly displaying the flag of Hezbollah, a banned terror group in Britain, at a gig last November.
He told fans at Brockwell Park: 'The world needs to see the solidarity of 20,000 people.'
Chara called for 'anybody who's free on the 18th June' to come and 'gather outside the Westminster courts' as the 'world needs to see the solidarity of 20,000 people'.
The crowd in Brockwell Park responded by chanting 'free Mo Chara'.
Ó hAnnaidh, who is due to appear at the court next month charged under the Terrorism Act 2000, claimed the band was being made an example of and his charge had been rushed through deliberately to prevent the band from performing at Glastonbury Festival.
'We are being made an example of. The Israeli lobbyists are trying to prove to the other artists that if you speak out, we're going to hit you where it hurts most. We're on the right side of history,' he said to chants of 'Free Palestine' from the crowd.
Meanwhile Palestinian flags were scattered amongst the crowd during the 90-minute set but there were no words of support or show of flags for Hezbollah or Hamas, both banned terror organisations in Britain.
During their headline act, the three-man band performed their politically charged new single 'The Recap', rapping about Kemi Badenoch's attempt at 'fooling everybody' following the Conservative Party Leader's claim Kneecap are 'openly glorifying evil terror groups '.
Banners in the crowd included 'F*** Badenoch' and news clips about the controversy, including footage of Sharon Osbourne, who called for the band's US visas to be revoked, were played by the band on stage.
Kneecap's frontman told the festival attendees that the quick turnaround from his interview with counter terrorism police to his charge was because Glastonbury was 'just around the corner' and 'they're trying to 'silence us' from speaking at Glastonbury'.
The west Belfast group have caused mounting outrage over the last few months, hitting the headlines in April after displaying a message at a gig accusing Israel of 'committing genocide against the Palestinian people'.
Footage later emerged of a band member urging people to kill their local MP, which sparked fury from the families of murdered MPs Jo Cox and David Amess.
Kneecap apologised for the remarks and said they are facing a 'co-ordinated smear campaign' after speaking out about 'the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people '.
In a statement, the group said: 'Let us be unequivocal: we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah. We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never okay. We know this more than anyone, given our nation's history.
'We also reject any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual. Ever. An extract of footage, deliberately taken out of all context, is now being exploited and weaponised, as if it were a call to action.'
The band added: 'To the Amess and Cox families, we send our heartfelt apologies, we never intended to cause you hurt.
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