Rapper from Kneecap trio appears in London accused of supporting Hezbollah
Irish singer Mo Chara is accused of displaying a Hezbollah flag during a concert. He is also accused of shouting "Go Hamas! Go Hezbollah!"
Rapper Mo Chara of the Northern Irish trio Kneecap, accused of displaying a Hezbollah flag during a concert, appeared in a London court on Wednesday on charges of "terrorist offenses." Liam Og O Hannaidh—his real name in Gaelic—was charged on May 21 with covering himself with a flag of the pro-Iranian Lebanese Islamist movement, which is classified as a terrorist organization in the United Kingdom, during a concert by the group in London on November 21, 2024. He is also accused of shouting "Go Hamas! Go Hezbollah!"
The 27-year-old rapper is due to appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court at 10:00 a.m. local time (09:00 GMT). The group has consistently denied any support for Hezbollah, denouncing a "political" decision. "Mo Chara will be back before Westminster Magistrates' Court, while the British government continues to create a diversion," the Belfast-based group wrote on its X account on Tuesday, criticizing Israel. It urged its supporters to come to the court on Wednesday.
Skip the adIn mid-June, during an initial hearing, the rapper's lawyers claimed that his indictment had occurred outside the legal six-month deadline. The case was then postponed until the end of August, and this point is due to be reviewed on Wednesday. Bold provocateurs to their fans, dangerous extremists to their detractors, the band members have attracted media and political attention in recent months in the United Kingdom. The reason: virulent statements against Israel and the war in the Gaza Strip. This war was triggered by Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Despite urgent calls from Conservative MPs to remove the band from the prestigious Glastonbury Festival at the end of June, they were able to perform there, persisting in their criticism of Israel. Kneecap was, however, banned from entering Hungary at the end of July, where they were scheduled to perform. The Northern Irish trio's appearance at the Rock en Seine festival on Sunday, August 24, is under intense scrutiny.
At the hearing in mid-June, prosecutor Michael Bisgrove assured that "this case is not about Mr. O'Hanna's support for the Palestinian people, nor his criticism of Israel." Hundreds of fans gathered outside the courthouse in support.
The Northern Irish trio rose to prominence in 2024 with their album Fine Art and a high-octane documentary, Kneecap . The film, which won awards at the Sundance Film Festival in the United States, was released in France in June. Founded in 2017, Kneecap advocates for the reunification of Ireland and considers its language an "anti-colonialist" cry against British power.
The group's name itself comes from the practice of paramilitary groups shooting their victims in the knees during the Northern Ireland conflict.
lefigaro
