LONDON: Hundreds of fans turned out to support a member of Irish rap group Kneecap on Wednesday at a London court as he sought to throw out a terrorism charge for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed Lebanese militia 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 yellow flag of Hezbollah during a Kneecap gig in London on Nov. 21, 2024.
O hAnnaidh is accused of holding up the flag on stage while saying “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah.” Kneecap have said the flag was thrown on stage during their performance.
The 27-year-old was charged in May under the Terrorism Act, which makes it a criminal offence to display an article in a way which arouses reasonable suspicion that someone is a supporter of a proscribed organization.
O hAnnaidh appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday wearing the keffiyeh scarf associated with the Palestinian cause and had to fight his way through a scrum of photographers to get inside the building.
He sat alongside an Irish language interpreter during the hearing and his bandmates Naoise O Caireallain, stage name Moglai Bap, and J.J. O Dochartaigh, who goes by DJ Provao, were also in court, with supporters filling the public gallery.
RULING NEXT MONTH
Irish music was played outside the court throughout the hearing, with many supporters waving Irish and Palestinian flags while others held placards reading “Free Mo Chara.”
O hAnnaidh’s lawyers say the charge was brought too late and the prosecution case should be thrown out, as O hAnnaidh was formally charged on May 22 this year, one day after the six-month limit for such charges.
Prosecutor Michael Bisgrove, however, argued that O hAnnaidh was charged on May 21, within the time limit. Judge Paul Goldspring said he would give a decision on Sept. 26.
O hAnnaidh left the court to cheers from supporters, telling the crowd the charge against him was “a distraction from the real story” of Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territories.
Belfast-based Kneecap, who rap in Irish and English and regularly display pro-Palestinian messages during their gigs, previously said the charge was an attempt to silence them.
The group — who rap about Irish identity and support the republican cause of uniting Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland — have been increasingly vocal about the war in Gaza since O hAnnaidh was charged.
