A Kneecap member appears in a British court on terrorism charges.
Hundreds of fans of the Irish rap group Kneecap welcomed one of its members, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, to Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, where he is accused of supporting a terrorist organization for allegedly raising a Hezbollah flag at one of their concerts.
Waving Irish and Palestinian flags, a sea of supporters chanted his name and the band's name, as well as pro-Palestine slogans, as Ó Hannaidh, who performs under the pseudonym Mo Chara , arrived. He was surrounded by a swarm of photographers and media cameras.
Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, face covered, upon his arrival at the court.
Carl Court / GettyÓ Hannaidh, 27, appeared in his first court appearance last June, where he was released by Judge Paul Goldspring, and the legal arguments for his case will be presented at this hearing.
The musician was charged last May with terrorism for allegedly displaying the flag during a London concert on November 21, 2024, at the O2 venue in the London neighborhood of Kentish Town, when, according to the prosecution, he also shouted "Up Hamas, Up Hezbollah."
Protesters display banners in support of Palestine and freedom of expression.
Carl Court / GettyThe London Metropolitan Police (Met) reinforced its presence with dozens of officers who kept protesters away from the court entrance, although the singer needed more than a minute to gain entry to the court due to the large number of people gathered there.
Chants of "Free, Free Mo Chara" were also heard, which were encouraged by the group itself on its Instagram account, where, since yesterday, it has posted messages encouraging people to attend the demonstration, such as " Starmer is the real terrorist. Defend Kneecap."
Traffic sign altered to denounce the massacre in Gaza.
JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP“If you haven't understood by now, Mo Chara's prosecution is about fear. Fear of the voices that refuse to play along with the fantasy that the UK is a neutral observer,” the group said in a post.
Read alsoKneecap rose to prominence in 2024 through the BAFTA-winning film of the same name, in which they humorously address identity, political, and social issues through their Gaelic-language hip hop, reflecting their roots in the Northern Irish nationalist Catholic community.
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