Irish rap trio Kneecap have branded the charging of certainly one of their members with a terror offence within the UK as “political policing” in a bid to “silence voices of compassion”.
Liam Og O hAannaidh has been charged over the alleged displaying of a flag in assist of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation, at a gig on the O2 Discussion board in Kentish City, London, on 21 November.
The 27-year-old from Belfast in Northern Eire – who performs beneath the stage identify Mo Chara – is because of seem at Westminster Magistrates’ Court docket on 18 June.
In a press release on X, the group stated: “14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British establishment is focused on us.”
The UN has since clarified the broadly reported declare, saying an estimated 14,000 infants are in peril of acute malnutrition between April 2025 and March 2026 – inside a 12 months, not 48 hours.
The group added: “We deny this ‘offence’ and will vehemently defend ourselves. This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction. We are not the story. Genocide is.
“As they revenue from genocide, they use an ‘anti-terror regulation’ towards us for displaying a flag thrown on stage.
“A charge not serious enough to even warrant their crown court, instead a court that doesn’t have a jury. What’s the objective?
“To limit our skill to journey. To forestall us chatting with younger folks the world over. To silence voices of compassion. To prosecute artists who dare converse out.
“Instead of defending innocent people, or the principles of international law they claim to uphold, the powerful in Britain have abetted slaughter and famine in Gaza, just as they did in Ireland for centuries.
“Then, like now, they declare justification.
“The IDF units they arm and fly spy plane missions for are the real terrorists, the whole world can see it.
“We stand proudly with the folks. You stand complicit with the struggle criminals. We’re on the precise facet of historical past. You aren’t.
“We will fight you in court. We will win. Free Palestine.”
Officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command have been made conscious of a video circulating on-line on 22 April, the power stated.
An investigation led to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) authorising the cost.
Kneecap apologised final month to the households of murdered MPs after movies emerged allegedly exhibiting the band calling for the deaths of MPs and shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”.
The group stated footage of the incident had been “exploited and weaponised”, including they’ve “never supported” Hamas or Hezbollah, that are banned within the UK.
The incident led to gigs being cancelled and requires the band to be dropped from the Glastonbury Competition and TRNSMT line-ups.
The trio are on account of headline Vast Awake Competition in south London on Friday.
In an interview on Thursday morning, Eire’s deputy premier stated Hezbollah or Hamas shouldn’t be conflated with the reason for the Palestinian folks.
Tanaiste Simon Harris stated: “To take Hamas first, Hamas is a despicable terrorist organisation. It carried out a brutal terrorist attack in Israel that has been condemned by Ireland and all right-thinking people.
“They provide the folks of Palestine no way forward for hope or positivity. They should not be in any manner, form or type given any succour – and are not – by Eire.
“When it comes to Hezbollah, I’m also the minister for defence in this country. We’re fighting daily for justice for Private Sean Rooney. Hezbollah, again, is an illegal terrorist organisation that have brought pain, suffering and death to Irish peacekeepers.”
