Kneecap rapper to appear in court over alleged support of terrorist organisation
A member of of TRNSMT axed Irish rap group Kneecap is due to appear in court for allegedly supporting a proscribed terror organisation.
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.
Demonstrations in support of the rapper have been organised outside Westminster Magistrates' Court in London where he is due to appear on Wednesday, as well as in Dublin.
The Metropolitan Police has imposed conditions limiting where the demonstration outside the court can take place on Wednesday, saying they were needed to "prevent serious disruption".
In response the rap group described this move as a "calculated political decision" that was "designed to try and portray support for Kneecap as somehow troublesome" and "asked supporters to go out of your way to be compliant with all instructions issued, irrespective of how pitiful".
O hAnnaidh received a rockstar welcome when he appeared at the same court in June, supported by fellow bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and J J O Dochartaigh.
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
He was greeted by a festival-like atmosphere for his first court appearance, with dozens of fans waving flags, playing drums and one supporter setting off a smoke canister.
The court previously heard the 27-year-old defendant is "well within his rights" to voice his opinions on the Israel-Palestine conflict, but the alleged incident at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, was a "wholly different thing".
O hAnnaidh is yet to enter a plea to the charge.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ITV News
a minute ago
- ITV News
Paedophile who groomed 14-year-old claimed he 'felt like teenager trapped in man's body'
A 'predatory and determined' paedophile who groomed a 14-year-old girl and sent child abuse videos has been described by a judge as "every parent's worst nightmare". Shaun Fox, 43, was described by sentencing judge Philip Grey as a 'serious risk to the public', as he was jailed for 14 years. Fox, of Swanspool, Ravensthorpe, Peterborough, adopted a pseudonym and pretended to be a 17-year-old boy when he began speaking to the victim via Instagram on 18 May. He asked to see inappropriate photos of the victim and made sexual requests of her. When the victim's mother discovered what was happening, she posed as her daughter on WhatsApp and he sent her three child abuse videos. He then began deleting messages and asked the victim's mother to do the same. Officers were able to trace Fox thanks to an email address for the Instagram account and CCTV footage of him buying a mobile phone and top-up from Sainsbury's in Peterborough. Fox was arrested at him home on 1 July and, in police interview, said he felt like a 17-year-old trapped in the body of a 43-year-old man. Last week at Cambridge Crown Court, Fox was jailed for 14 years and six months, having pleaded guilty to six counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, distributing an indecent photograph, causing a child to watch/look at an image of sexual activity, engaging in sexual communication with a child and causing a girl to engage in sexual activity. He was put on the sex offenders register for life, handed a sexual harm prevention order for life and also a 10-year restraining order. His Honour Judge Grey said: 'The comment about being a 17-year-old in a 43-year-old's body is self-serving rubbish. "You are a 43-year-old self-serving male, who puts yourself and your own desires first, always. 'Nothing here was out of character, you made a plan, and you executed it, you had dozens of opportunities to change this and your regret, in my opinion, is that you were caught." He said the victim's life was now "unrecognisable from before you got your claws into her" but said all the blame lay with Fox, and not the victim or her family. Det Con Jon Edwards, who investigated, said: 'The custodial sentence reflects the severity of Fox's offences and the judge's comments emphasise how dangerous he is. 'I would like to pay tribute to the victim and her family for all the bravery and courage they have shown throughout what must have been a nightmarish ordeal.'
Daily Record
a minute ago
- Daily Record
Moment gang of yob teens raid shop for cans of booze before fleeing
Footage from the Day Today in Tranent seems to show a group of youths pocketing cans of Four Loko on Tuesday, August 19. The shock moment a gang of teenage yobs raid a shop in a Scots town for booze before making off has been caught on camera. A group reportedly stole cans of alcohol in a brazen incident which took place on Tuesday, August 19 at the Day Today on Bridge Street in Tranent, East Lothian. The shopkeeper claimed the gang entered the shop, one as young as eight or nine, and took several cans of Four Loko, an alcoholic beverage. CCTV footage from the convenience store seems to show the youths entering the shop and heading to the drinks cooler. They appear to select several cans of the alcoholic beverage and slip them inside their coats. Another clip seems to show them exiting the shop without paying. Police confirmed they are looking into a report of theft at the Bridge Street store. Shopkeepers told Edinburgh Live:"Today, three underage individuals entered our shop — two girls, around 13 to 14 years old, and one boy, around eight or nine years old. "While inside, they took three cans of Four Loko and handed them to the younger boy before running out of the store. "This is a serious matter, as it involves alcohol and underage children. We have recorded the incident on our CCTV and are reporting it to the relevant authorities." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. They added: "We're sharing this to keep our community aware and to remind parents/guardians to be mindful of what their children are doing. "As a local business, we work hard to serve our customers honestly, and situations like this are very concerning." The Day Today in Tranent has reported theft consistently in the past. Edinburgh Live recently reported on a man who allegedly swapped a vodka bottle for one he had filled with water. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'On the evening of Tuesday, 19 August, 2025, police received a report of a theft from a shop on Bridge Street, Tranent. Enquiries are at an early stage.'
Reuters
2 minutes ago
- Reuters
Israel calls up tens of thousands of reservists before new Gaza offensive
TEL AVIV/JERUSALEM/CAIRO, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Israel's military called up tens of thousands of reservists on Wednesday in preparation for an expected assault on Gaza City, as the Israeli government considered a new proposal for a ceasefire after nearly two years of war. The call-up signals Israel is pressing ahead with its plan to take control of Gaza's biggest urban hub despite international criticism of an operation likely to force the displacement of many more Palestinians. But a military official briefing reporters said reserve soldiers would not report for duty until September, a move that gives mediators some time to bridge gaps between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel over ceasefire terms. The official said that as part of planning for a new offensive in Gaza there would be five divisions operating in the enclave but most reservists were not expected to serve in combat in Gaza City. "We will be moving into a new phase of combat, a gradual, precise and targeted operation in and around Gaza City, which currently serves as Hamas' main military and governing stronghold," the official said. Israel's security cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, approved a plan this month to expand the campaign in Gaza, with the aim of seizing Gaza City. Many of Israel's closest allies have urged the government to reconsider but Netanyahu is under pressure from some far-right members of his coalition to reject a temporary ceasefire, continue the war and pursue the annexation of Gaza. The war began on October 7, 2023 when gunmen led by Hamas attacked southern Israeli communities, killing some 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and taking 251 hostages including children into Gaza. Over 62,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's campaign, according to Gaza health officials, who do not say how many were militants but have said most of those killed have been women and children. Hamas has accepted a proposal put forward by Arab mediators for a 60-day ceasefire that would involve releasing some of the hostages and freeing Palestinian prisoners in Israel. The Israeli government, which has said all the 50 remaining hostages must be released at once, is studying the proposal. Israeli authorities believe that 20 hostages are still alive. Many Gazans and foreign leaders fear an assault on Gaza City would cause significant casualties. Israel says it will help civilians leave battle zones before any assault begins. Israel's military, which is continuing its campaign in Gaza, struck Gaza City's eastern suburbs overnight in a bombardment which Gaza health authorities said killed at least 19 people. "This time if there is no deal, I am afraid we will all die," Samir Abu Basel, 45, a father of four, told Reuters by telephone from Gaza. "To die here or die wherever they would push us to, all the same. We have lost faith in this world, in our leaders too." Israel's military campaign has caused widespread devastation across the Gaza Strip, which before the war was home to about 2.3 million Palestinians. Many buildings, including homes, schools and mosques have been destroyed, while the military has accused Hamas of operating from within civilian infrastructure. Most Gazans have been displaced multiple times and forced into densely packed areas along the Mediterranean coast, including in Gaza City. Israeli officials have said evacuation orders would be issued to Gaza City residents before any force move in. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which oversees Gaza's only Catholic Church, located in Gaza City, said it had received reports that neighbourhoods near the small parish had started to receive evacuation notices. Hamas, which has ruled Gaza for almost two decades, has been severely weakened by the war. The Israeli military says it now controls about 75% of Gaza and that Hamas has been reduced to a guerrilla force. The Israeli military official who briefed reporters on Wednesday said Hamas had been trying to regroup and reform in Gaza City in a more organised manner, but gave no evidence to support the assertion. Polls show strong Israeli public support for ending the war if it ensures the release of the hostages, and a rally in Tel Aviv urging the government to pursue such a deal drew a huge crowd on Saturday. Hamas has said it would release all remaining hostages in exchange for an end to war. Israel says it will not end the war before the Islamist militant group disarms.
