Latest news with #KneecapAbu
Sunday World
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Kneecap facing US travel ban if Mo Chara is convicted of terror charge
Kneecap member Mo Chara is due at Westminster Magistrates Court on June 18. If convicted, he will automatically be barred from entering the States BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 2: (L-R) Mo Chara, DJ Próvaí and Móglaí Bap of, Irish rap group, Kneecap pose for a portrait shoot outside the Hawthorn Pub in West Belfast on June 2, 2024 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Photo by) BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - MAY 23: A message supporting Kneecap can be seen on Belfast's Black Mountain showing the words 'Kneecap Abu' which translates to "Up Kneecap" or "Kneecap Forever" in white lettering on May 23, 2025 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The signage comes after a member of the Irish language hip-hop group Kneecap, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terror offence after allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed organisation Hezbollah after an incident on 21 November 2024 at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London. Mr Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday 18 June.. (Photo by) NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 09: (L-R) Director Rich Peppiatt, and Móglaí Bap, Dj Provaí, Mo Chara of Kneecap and Producer Trevor Birney attend the "Kneecap" Premiere during the 2024 Tribeca Festival at Village East Cinema on June 09, 2024 in New York City. (Photo byfor Tribeca Festival) Kneecap are facing a travel ban in the US if Mo Chara is convicted under anti-terrorism legislation, the Sunday World has learned. The band is still scheduled to play a series of gigs across North America in October, with a number of them already sold out. The trio are due to play New York, Boston, Minneapolis Philadelphia, Nashville and Washington with other gigs scheduled for Kentucky, Seattle and San Francisco. They are also due at a number of sell-out gigs in Canada – all of which are still being advertised despite controversy surrounding the London Met's charging of Ó hAnnaidh for allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed Lebanese organisation Hezbollah at a concert in London last November. He is due at Westminster Magistrates Court on June 18. If convicted, he will automatically be barred from entering the States. Industry sources say they are 'facing an onslaught'' from political leaders and from 'powerful elements' within the music industry determined to silence them. Graffitti in support of Kneecap appeared on walls in West Belfast. 'The boys will not stay quiet, they are not going away,' said our source, 'in many ways they have become a cypher for something much bigger than them, they are on the right side of history.' The Sunday World understands the band's appearance at Glastonbury at the end of June is not currently under threat despite political pressure on the organisers. And they have a whole summer planned of festival appearances across Europe, the first of which was the Wide Awake Festival in south London on Friday where 20,000 fans filled Brockwell Park in Brixton. The Sunday World understands representatives from Glastonbury and other summer festivals were at Friday's show. The band has the backing of many musicians – Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher among them, while Sir Elton John has lauded them and on Friday, Sir Rod Stewart was seen in the wings watching the Kneecap set. Last night award-winning film-maker Trevor Birney, who made a Bafta-winning biopic of the band, said the group was now at the forefront of a global awakening to what's happening in Gaza. 'Kneecap are now cast in that global story. It's not where they wanted or intended to be, but they are shining a light on what is happening in Gaza at a time when political leaders around the world don't want to talk about it,' he said. 'They are speaking for young people around the world, telling them this is genocide. They have transcended the established political order.' He said their message came at a time when Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg were shutting down free speech on social media, and mainstream media was increasingly restricted. 'Public spaces for people to be informed are getting smaller,' he said. 'Soon the only place to get the truth across is from the stage.' He said there was more than enough material for a second Kneecap movie, but that is some way off. It is understood the band no longer hold valid visas following their controversial appearance at the Coachella festival in California in April. They used their gig in the Californian desert to highlight the genocide in Palestine. With neon signs proclaiming 'f**k Israel'' thousands of fans chanted 'Free Free Palestine.' The band has refused to step back from despite attempts to have them cancelled. A number of festivals in Europe have been cancelled but they are due to play events in Denmark, Netherlands and the Czech Republic before returning at the of June for a sell-out concert in Dublin. Then comes Glastonbury on June 28. Festival organisers have come under pressure from politicians and ministers to drop the Belfast rappers from the line-up. They are then due to play in front of 40,000 fans at Belfast's Boucher Playing Fields where they will support Dublin's Fontaines DC at the end of August. Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara. Photo: Lorne Thomson/Redferns By then they will have also played in Greece, Scandanavia, Belgium, France and the UK. After a surprise gig at the 100 Club in London on Wednesday following Mo Chara's arrest, they took to the stage on Friday in from of 20,000 fans at the Wide Awake Festival in south London. Mo Chara told the crowd the authorities were 'trying to silence us' before Glastonbury and urged fans not to be 'on the wrong side of history'. 'I know we're out, we're enjoying ourselves and we're trying to listen to some tunes at a festival... believe me lads, I wish I didn't have to do this,' he said. 'Let's remember how lucky we are to be in a field with our friends and not being bombed from the sky,' Mo Chara said. He said the US administration had been embarrassed to see thousands of Americans chanting 'Free Palestine', describing Glastonbury as the UK's Coachella. An estimated 54,000 people including 16,500 children have died in Israel's bombing campaign launched in the wake of Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023 which resulted in 1,200 deaths and 251 people being taken hostage. Organisers of Friday's Brixton event confirmed in a statement earlier this month that the gig would go ahead after they had held 'positive discussions with key stakeholders'. 'Wide Awake Festival has a proud history of supporting the alternative music scene and we look forward to staging another unforgettable event showcasing the very best emerging and established talent,' they said. But other Kneecap gigs have been cancelled including at the Eden Project in Cornwall and Plymouth Pavilions.
The National
24-05-2025
- The National
Celtic supporters display 'Kneecap Abu' banner at Hampden
A banner raised behind the goal, by the Bhoys supporters group, read: "Kneecap Abu". The phase translates to 'Kneecap Forever' or 'Up Kneecap'. A second display just rows in front stated: "Free Palestine". It comes after a member of Kneecap, Liam Og O hAnnaidh, was charged by the Metropolitan Police with a terror offence. The 27-year-old allegedly displayed a flag in support of Hezbollah at a London gig in November last year. Kneecap responded in a statement on social media: "We deny this 'offence' and will vehemently defend ourselves. Read more: "This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction. "14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British establishment is focused on us." The Celtic fan display follows a similar message of support for Kneecap which appeared on Belfast's Black Mountain on Friday. Large lettering read: "Kneecap Abu". The rap group shared the image on their social media account.
The Herald Scotland
24-05-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Celtic supporters display 'Kneecap Abu' banner at Hampden
A second display just rows in front stated: "Free Palestine". It comes after a member of Kneecap, Liam Og O hAnnaidh, was charged by the Metropolitan Police with a terror offence. The 27-year-old allegedly displayed a flag in support of Hezbollah at a London gig in November last year. Kneecap responded in a statement on social media: "We deny this 'offence' and will vehemently defend ourselves. Read more: "This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction. "14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British establishment is focused on us." The Celtic fan display follows a similar message of support for Kneecap which appeared on Belfast's Black Mountain on Friday. Large lettering read: "Kneecap Abu". The rap group shared the image on their social media account.
Sunday World
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Message backing Kneecap appears on Belfast mountain as band release new track
It comes as Kneecap's new release this afternoon has reignited the group's feud with Kemi Badenoch Kneecap member Liam Og O hAnnaidh (Mo Chara) outside the 100 Club in Oxford Street, central London, where the trio announced a surprise gig for Thursday evening. (Pic: PA) A message supporting Kneecap has appeared on Belfast's Black Mountain on Friday afternoon, as the band released their latest track. The message – showing the words 'Kneecap Abu' – which translates to 'Up Kneecap' or 'Kneecap Forever' – was displayed in white lettering on the mountain. It comes as Kneecap's new release this afternoon has reignited the group's feud with Kemi Badenoch, including a reference to the Conservative leader and the party's most recent election results. The band have officially released 'The Recap Ft. Mozey (Bootleg Version)' this afternoon, with the track including a reference to Ms Badenoch at the end of the song. Making reference to the English local election results at the start of the month which saw the Tories lose 674 councillors, in the track one member of the band says: 'Good effort Kemi, hard lines on the elections. Onwards and upwards. Free Palestine.' Meanwhile at the start of the track, it samples a news clipping referencing the investigation by counter terror police involving the band. The new music from the band comes just two days after one of their members was charged with a terror offence. The sign supporting Kneecap on Belfast's Black Mountain Photo Credit: Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph News in 90 Seconds - May 23rd Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, has been charged over the alleged display of a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, in November last year, the Metropolitan Police said on Wednesday. The group, who rap in the Irish language, have a headline slot at Wide Awake Festival in Brockwell Park, south London, later on Friday night. Earlier in a post on social media, the band said they have 'some day coming up'. "We've a brand new landing in our WhatsApp channel at 1pm,' they wrote. 'Kemi Badenoch you might wanna sit down for this you've any seats left. 'Then we're at Wide Awake in Brockwell Park London for a headline show to 15,000 legends tonight.' We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The reference from the band to Ms Badenoch is part of an ongoing back and forward stretching back to last year, after Kneecap won their discrimination case against the previous government, when the Conservative leader refused the trio funding in her then ministerial role. Last year, the UK Government conceded it was 'unlawful' that the group were refused a £14,250 funding award by Ms Badenoch. Kneecap launched legal action claiming the decision to refuse the grant discriminated against them on grounds of nationality and political opinion. It comes after the band held a surprise gig at the 100 Club on Oxford Street on Thursday, where O hAnnaidh could be seen in videos on social media arriving on stage with tape covering his mouth. He then joked about being careful what he said before saying he wanted to thank his lawyer. He said: 'I need to thank my lawyer he's here tonight as well.' Police said they were at the central London venue on Thursday evening to manage visitors to the sold-out event. The band said on X that the event sold out in 90 seconds, with 2,000 people on the waiting list. On Monday, a spokesperson for several planned music festivals due to take place in Brockwell Park in Lambeth said none will be cancelled following a High Court ruling over planning permission. Police officers outside the 100 Club in Oxford Street, central London, where Kneecap announced a surprise gig for Thursday evening. (Pic: PA) Last week, Rebekah Shaman, a resident in the area and a member of the Protect Brockwell Park group, successfully brought legal action against Lambeth Council over the use of parts of the park for the festivals. In a ruling last week, Mr Justice Mould said that the authority's decision to certify the planned use of the land as lawful was 'irrational'. Lawyers for Ms Shaman and the Protect Brockwell Park group wrote to the council following the ruling, asking it to 'confirm that the event has been cancelled' and to clear any fencing or infrastructure, and stating that Brockwell Live did not have planning permission. But on Monday, a spokesperson for Brockwell Live said that no events would be cancelled, with Lambeth Council confirming that the event's organisers, Summer Events Limited, had reapplied for planning permission. O hAnnaidh, 27, was charged by postal requisition and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 18, the Metropolitan Police said. The sign supporting Kneecap on Belfast's Black Mountain Photo Credit: Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph Kneecap: A timeline of controversy and success In response to the charge, the group said in a social media statement: 'We deny this 'offence' and will vehemently defend ourselves, this is political policing, this is a carnival of distraction. 'We are not the story, genocide is, as they profit from genocide, they use an 'anti-terror law' against us for displaying a flag thrown on stage. A charge not serious enough to even warrant their crown court, instead a court that doesn't have a jury. What's the objective? 'To restrict our ability to travel. To prevent us speaking to young people across the world. To silence voices of compassion. To prosecute artists who dare speak out. 'Instead of defending innocent people, or the principles of international law they claim to uphold, the powerful in Britain have abetted slaughter and famine in Gaza, just as they did in Ireland for centuries. Then, like now, they claim justification. 'The IDF units they arm and fly spy plane missions for are the real terrorists, the whole world can see it.' Earlier this month, the Metropolitan Police said Kneecap were being investigated by counter-terrorism police after videos emerged allegedly showing the band calling for the deaths of MPs and shouting 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah'. The rap trio have had gigs cancelled after the footage emerged but are still listed to headline Wide Awake. They apologised last month to the families of murdered MPs but said footage of the incident had been 'exploited and weaponised'. They also said they have 'never supported' Hamas or Hezbollah, which are banned in the UK. Ms Badenoch has called for Kneecap to be banned while other politicians pushed for the group to be dropped from the Glastonbury Festival line-up.
