Kneecap's Mo Chara returns to court to face terror charge as UK police warn protesters outside
As was the case when Ó hAnnaidh last appeared
before Westminster Magistrates' Court in June
, protests are expected outside the court building and are being organised by a number of pro-Palestine groups.
Unlike the last occasion, however,
UK police have issued a warning
to anyone planning on protesting, saying that protesters must remain in a defined area and that 'Public Order Act conditions' are in place.
'We've imposed Public Order Act conditions to prevent serious disruption being caused by a protest outside Westminster Magistrates' Court tomorrow,' Met Police said on social media.
'Protest in support of Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh and aligned causes must remain in the red area. Any stage must be erected in the green area.'
In response to this on social media, Kneecap said that it 'massively appreciates the support of what we know are the majority of the public, who can see this farce for what it is'.
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'It is a distraction from war crimes that the British state support,' added the statement.
Ó hAnnaidh is one-third of Belfast rap trip Kneecap and performs under the stage name 'Mo Chara. He is facing charges of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK, during a gig in the O2 Forum, Kentish Town last November.
During the last court appearance, Ó hAnnaidh's legal team argued that the charge being issued in May 2025 was brought outside the six-month limit from when the offence was alleged to have been committed on 21 November 2024.
Barristers for the Crown Prosecution Service have disputed this but the previous hearing was adjourned to allow for substantive arguments the matter to be heard today.
Should the judge agree with Ó hAnnaidh's legal team, the prosecution would fall and Ó hAnnaidh would not have to enter a plea or face a trial.
If the judge sides with prosecutors, then Ó hAnnaidh would have to enter a plea. In pre-trial public statements, the rap group have indicated that Ó hAnnaidh would plead not guilty.
During the June hearing, the allegations against Ó hAnnaidh were summarised by prosecutor Michael Bisgrove, who said that the case was 'not about Mr Ó hAnnaidh's support for the people of Palestine or his criticism of Israel.'
Instead, he said it 'deals with a video recording showing that, in November of last year, Mr Ó hAnnaidh wore and displayed the flag of Hezbollah, a proscribed terrorist organisation, while saying 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah'.'
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Kneecap: What's the terror charge 'Mo Chara' is facing, what's the defence and the sentence?
Ó hAnnaidh has recruited a team of high-profile lawyers with experience of UK courts to administer his defence.
The legal team includes Darragh Mackin, of Phoenix Law, who represented families of the Stardust fire and Brenda Campbell KC, who acted in the recent inquests in the Stardust case.
Speaking outside Westminster Magistrates' Court in June, Mackin framed the case as one about freedom of expression.
'Oppression fears the freedom of expression, but the reality is Kneecap will stand up for freedom of expression and defend not only their rights but the rights of artists all around the world,' he said.
During the June hearing, the judge had said that unsuccessful attempts were made to have an Irish language interpreter present in court but that efforts would be made to secure one for the next hearing.
Unlike the previous court appearance when the accused's named was listed as 'O'Hanna', an online listing for today's court appearance contains several special characters, suggesting that the Irish language version of his name was entered into a computer system.
Should the matter go to trial, there will not be a jury determining the verdict but a district judge instead.
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