A member of Irish rap group Kneecap was welcomed by hundreds of supporters as he arrived at a London court on Wednesday, charged with a terrorism offence for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who was initially charged under the Anglicised name Liam O'Hanna and whose stage name is Mo Chara, is alleged to have waved the flag of Hezbollah — a group proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK — during a Kneecap gig in London in November 2024.
The 27-year-old was charged in May under the Terrorism Act, which makes it a criminal offence to display any item in a manner that reasonably suggests support for a proscribed organisation.
Wednesday's hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court is expected to deal with Mo Chara's argument that the charge was brought too late and should be thrown out, failing which he is likely to formally enter a plea.
Belfast-based Kneecap, who rap in Irish and English and regularly display pro-Palestine messages during their gigs, previously said the flag had been thrown on stage and described the charge as an attempt to silence them.
“Since his last court appearance Israel has murdered another 9,000 Palestinians, mainly children and women,” Kneecap posted on their social media accounts the day before Mo Chara’s appearance at the court.
The group have been increasingly vocal about Israel’s war on Gaza since Mo Chara was charged.
“British courts have long charged people from the North of Ireland with ‘terrorism’ for crimes never committed. We will fight them. We will win,” their post on X read.
Kneecap led a 30,000-strong crowd at Glastonbury Festival in June in chants against Prime Minister Keir Starmer and accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza.
The group’s outspoken stance has garnered growing support from both the UK public and advocacy groups.
“Mo Chara is facing terrorism charges for opposing genocide while the British state continues to arm, fund, and shield the crimes we are all witnessing in Gaza,” wrote CAGE, a rights group based in the UK.
“His trial is not just about one person. It is part of the wider repression of Palestine activism in Britain.”
