24-05-2025
Hip-hop trio Kneecap say cops ‘trying to silence them' at first major gig since Liam O'Hanna charged with terror offence
KNEECAP claimed cops are "trying to silence them" at their first major gig since a band member was charged with a terror offence.
The Irish-language hip-hop trio slammed the charge as "political policing".
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Liam O'Hanna, 27, was charged with a terror offence for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag.
The rapper is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 18.
Appearing onstage at the Wide Awake festival last night, he declared to fans that police are "trying to silence us before Glastonbury" and urged them to be "on the right side of history."
Mo Chara (O'Hanna), Móglaí Bap (Naoise Ó Cairealláin) and balaclava-wearing DJ Próvaí (JJ Ó Dochartaigh) played songs from their album Fine Art.
It has seen a surge in streaming since the controversy began.
The album includes a song called The Recap which was released only hours earlier.
It begins with a clip of a news report about the counter-terrorism investigation.
O'Hanna joked with fans that they would have to write to him in jail, the BBC reported.
Some Kneecap gigs have been cancelled in the wake of the controversy.
These include sets at the Eden Project in Cornwall and Plymouth Pavilions.
They are listed to perform on the Saturday at Glastonbury, but some politicians have called for the trio to be barred.
The rapper is due in court the week before the festival starts.
O'Hanna was charged after allegedly displaying the banner in support of the Iranian proxy militants in Lebanon.
The incident unfolded on November 21 last year at the O2 Forum, in Kentish Town, London.
Officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command launched an urgent probe after being made aware on April 22.
An investigation was carried out after reviewing video footage from the event.
O'Hanna, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was later charged under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Friday's gig follows a smaller "secret" band at London's 100 club the night before.
At least three cops were seen walking into the venue at around 7.35pm.
The rapper could be seen in videos on social media arriving on stage with tape covering his mouth.
He then joked about being careful about what he said, adding that he wanted to thank his lawyer.
Formed in 2017, the group are known for their provocative lyrics in both Irish and English, and their merchandise.
Their best-known tracks include Get Your Brits Out, Better Way To Live, featuring Grian Chatten from Fontaines DC, and 3Cag.
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