Rapper from Irish Group Kneecap Faces UK Court for Waving Hezbollah Flag
Mo Chara charged under terrorism laws as band defends free speech, decries political targeting over pro-Palestine stance.
Watan-Northern Irish rapper Mo Chara, a member of the controversial rap group Kneecap, is set to appear in a London court on Wednesday, facing charges of a “terror-related offense” after waving a Hezbollah flag during a concert last year.
Kneecap, known for its political lyrics and Belfast roots, openly supports the Palestinian cause. The rapper, whose real name is Liam Ó Hannaidh, is accused of waving the flag of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which is designated a terrorist organization by the UK, during a show on November 21 in London.
British police claim the act raises “reasonable suspicion” of support for a banned organization, which is a criminal offense under UK law.
Mo Chara, 27, was formally charged on May 21 and will appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court at 10:00 AM. The band has urged fans to show up in support.
Kneecap denied the charge, saying they do not support Hezbollah and condemned what they called a “political decision.”
During a festival performance in late May, Mo Chara declared, “They’re trying to silence us, cancel our shows, and strip my freedom to travel.”
Bandmate Móglaí Bap added: “If you’re free on June 18, gather outside Westminster Court to support him.”
Kneecap gained major popularity in 2024 following the release of their album Fine Art and a Sundance Award-winning hybrid film titled Kneecap. The group—founded in 2017 and composed of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí—advocates for Irish unification and treats the Irish language as an anti-colonial symbol against British power.
Political Repression and Fallout
The group’s name refers to a punishment method used by paramilitaries during the Northern Irish conflict. Kneecap stirred controversy in April after accusing Israel of “genocide against Palestinians” during their performance at California’s Coachella festival.
Videos widely circulated online showed Mo Chara waving a Hezbollah flag, and another clip captured a band member shouting: “Let’s go Hamas! Let’s go Hezbollah!”
The UK Counter-Terrorism Police confirmed an investigation into several such videos.
The group recently apologized for a 2023 video in which a member called for the killing of British Conservative MPs.
Speaking to AFP, filmmaker Rich Peppiatt, who directed Kneecap, said: “I’ve often heard it’s the end of Kneecap due to what they’ve said or done—but it always ends up pushing them forward.”
The film offers insight into post-conflict youth in Belfast, born after the 1998 peace agreement that ended decades of violence between Irish republicans (mostly Catholic) and British unionists (mostly Protestant).
Since the investigation began, Kneecap has been banned from several festivals in the UK and Germany, including one in southern England.
Despite the backlash, they’ve received support from major artists like Massive Attack, Pulp, and Fontaines D.C., who condemned the case as “political repression” and “a coordinated attempt at censorship and cancellation.”
As of now, Kneecap is still scheduled to perform at Glastonbury Festival on June 28, despite pressure from Conservative MPs and the Board of Deputies of British Jews to cancel their appearance.
