Kneecap’s Mo Chara charged with terror offence

Kneecap‘s Mo Chara has been charged with a terror offence following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

The charge relates to the musician, real name Liam O’Hanna, allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation. The incident is alleged to have taken place during a show at O2 Forum Kentish Town in London on November 21, 2024.

He will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, June 18.

Following the Irish rap trio’s overtly political statements in support of Palestine at Coachella, counter-terror police began to assess footage from the show which appears to show him shouting “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah.” In the UK, it is a crime to show support for either of these organisations.

In response, Kneecap shared a post on X/Twitter of a graphic which read “18 Months Of Genocide Footage Not Under Investigation By UK Counter-Terror Police”, with the caption “some facts.”

O’Hanna has not yet entered a plea. The band have since denied supporting either Hamas or Hezbollah and have stated they would not incite violence against any individuals. They have also argued that the video footage was taken out of context.

“Let us be unequivocal: we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah. We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never okay. We know this more than anyone, given our nation’s history,” they said on April 28.

NME has contacted Kneecap’s representatives for comment.

This is a breaking story. 

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