DUBAI: The Irish rap group Kneecap said this week that efforts are ongoing to block their appearance at Glastonbury this summer, following a surprise show held just one day after one of their members was charged with a terrorism-related offence.

During their performance at London’s 100 Club on Thursday night, the trio said they were being made a “scapegoat” because they “spoke about the genocide (in Gaza)” at Coachella in April.

Group member Liam Og O Hannaidh was charged on Wednesday with a terrorism offence for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig in London in November 2024. The rapper performs under the stage name Mo Chara and he is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on June 18.

The police force’s counter-terrorism command was made aware on April 22 of an online video from the event and then carried out an investigation. After that, the Crown Prosecution Service authorized the charge. 

The group posted on social media and said in a statement: “We deny this ‘offence’ and will vehemently defend ourselves. This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction.”

They added: “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.

“This is a carnival of distraction. We are not the story, genocide is.”

Hours after the charge was filed, Kneecap announced a last-minute gig that reportedly sold out in 90 seconds, with 2,000 people on the waiting list. 

Chara took to the stage at 9 p.m. with tape over his mouth in a symbolic protest. He suggested the timing of the charge was deliberate, saying it came just ahead of their scheduled Glastonbury appearance.

He said: “There’s a reason why what’s happened to me happened before Glastonbury. There’s a reason they’re trying to … stop me speaking at Glastonbury in front of the UK.”