The case against Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who is accused of a terrorism offence, has been adjourned by a court in London.
Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hizbullah at a gig in November.
The 27-year-old appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday following the alleged incident during a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London.
Ó hAnnaidh and his bandmates – Naoise Ó Cairealláin, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh arrived to a scrum of hundreds of their supporters who cheered as their vehicle pulled up.
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The band were wearing “Free Mo Chara” T-shirts as they arrived at the central London court.
It is alleged Ó hAnnaidh displayed a flag in a public place, “in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation” – namely Hizbullah.
Prosecutor Michael Bisgrove said: “This case is not about Mr hAnnaidh’s support for the people of Palestine or his criticism of Israel.”
He told the court O hAnnaidh is “well within his rights” to express his support and solidarity for Palestinians.
Wearing a dark zip up jacket and trousers, Ó hAnnaidh spoke briefly to confirm his identity at the beginning of the hearing.
The court adjourned the case until August 20th when the it will hear arguments over its jurisdiction in this case.
A large number of fans gathered outside the court on Wednesday morning with a mixture of Palestinian and Kneecap flags. A large green flag saying Free Speech, Free Palestine was also on display.
The small crowd cheered as an ad van emblazoned with the support slogan used for Mo Chara – More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish, Mo Chara – drove past the court.
Kneecap described the prosecution as a “witch hunt” in a post on X on Tuesday evening.
The post including a short video which appeared to show a billboard that had been displayed in London with the words “more blacks, more dogs, more Irish, Mo Chara”.
The Metropolitan Police said the force had charged Ó hAnnaidh, who appears on the court list as Liam O’Hanna, after initially being made aware of a video from the gig at the O2 Forum that had been posted online.
In a separate event shortly after the terrorism charge, Ó hAnnaidh could be seen in social media videos entering the stage with tape covering his mouth.
The Met previously said the Belfast rap trio were under investigation after clips posted online appeared to show the band calling for the deaths of MPs and shouting “up Hamas, up Hizbullah”.
Kneecap said they have “never supported” Hamas or Hizbullah, both of which are banned in the UK.
The band are from west Belfast and perform mostly in Irish, under the stage names Mo Chara, DJ Próvaí and Móglaí Bap – real names Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, JJ Ó Dochartaigh and Naoise Ó Cairealláin respectively.
They have been outspoken in support for Palestine and in their criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Following their Coachella performance in April, Kneecap faced a backlash over their comments about Gaza during the gig.
A number of Kneecap’s gigs this year were also cancelled, and UK ministers have sought to put pressure on Glastonbury’s organisers to halt the group’s performance at the festival in June.
The group insist the controversy has been manufactured in retaliation for their pro-Palestine stance and to distract from what is happening in Gaza. – PA
