Kneecap vow to ‘fight back’ after rapper is charged with terror offence over ‘Hezbollah flag’

Kneecap’s Liam O’Hanna, centre, was formally charged with a terror offence (Picture: Getty)

Kneecap has vowed to ‘fight back’ after rapper Liam O’Hanna was formally charged with a terror offence over an incident at a gig in the O2 in north London.

The 27-year-old, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, is accused of displaying a flag in support of the Lebanese Shia Islamist political party, Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK.

He is alleged to have displayed it ‘in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation.’

The incident is alleged to have happened at a concert last November – but the Metropolitan Police said it was only made aware of video evidence in April.

O’Hanna is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 18, the force added.

The full charge read: ‘On November 21, 2024, in a public place, namely the O2 Forum, Kentish Town, London, displayed an article, namely a flag, in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation, namely Hezbollah, contrary to section 13(1)(b) and (3) of the Terrorism Act 2000.’

(left to right) members of Kneecap, Liam (Mo Chara), JJ O’Dochartaigh and Moglai Bap attending the Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) Awards Ceremony (Picture: PA) Kneecap have vowed to ‘fight back’ in a statement (Picture: Getty)

Ireland’s deputy premier Tanaiste Simon Harris said he would not comment on the specifics of a member of Kneecap being charged with a terrorism offence in the UK.

In a statement issued on Thursday morning, Kneecap said: ‘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.

‘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 profit from genocide, they use an ‘anti-terror law’ against 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 restrict our travel ability. To prevent us speaking to young people across the world. To silence voices of compassion. To prosecute artists who dare to speak out.

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Kneecap, made up of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí, formed in 2017 (Picture: David Fisher/Shutterstock) Kneecap’s lyrics focus heavily on political themes (Picture: Getty)

‘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 claim 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 people. You stand complicit with the war criminals. We are on the right side of history. You are not. We will fight you in court. We will win. Free Palestine.’

Under the Terrorism Act 2000, it is a criminal offence to ‘invite support’ for a proscribed group.

Hezbollah was added to the UK list of terrorist organisations in 2019 after authorities said they are no longer able to distinguish between the group’s military and political wings.

Who are Kneecap? Kneecap, made up of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí, formed in 2017, dropping their first single C.E.A.R.T.A. that year. While they rap in a mixture of English and Irish, their lyrics focus on Irish republican and heavily political themes. Their debut track was banned from RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta (RnaG) over ‘drug references and cursing’, with a fan petition garnering 700 signatures calling for it to be reinstated. DJ Próvaí, who performs under a mask, was fired from his teaching job after flashing his buttocks (emblazoned with ‘BRITS OUT’) on stage. Back 2021, they dropped their single MAM in tribute to their own mothers, which marked a stylistic change focusing on something ‘real’. In 2024, the band starred alongside Michael Fassbender in a fictionalised retelling of their rise to fame. So far, they’re dropped two albums (2018’s 3CAG and last year’s Fine Art), while H.O.O.D. is their highest charting single to date, peaking at 23 in the Irish rankings.

Founded during the 15-year Civil War in Lebanon – and translating to the ‘Party of God’ – it opposes Israeli violence and Western powers operating in the Middle East, and has strong backing by Iran.

Last month it was announced that Kneecap’s performance at the Eden Project had been cancelled after the band faced intense scrutiny.

They’d been due to play at the venue in Cornwall on July 4 however an Eden Sessions spokesperson said: ‘Eden Sessions Limited announced today that the Kneecap show at Eden Project scheduled for July 4 2025 has been cancelled.

‘Ticket purchasers will be contacted directly and will be fully refunded. The refund process will commence from Wednesday, April 30 2025. Refunds will be processed against the original payment cards used. Purchasers should allow six working days for funds to be received into their accounts.’

The group later announced they will instead be playing a show in Plymouth instead of Cornwall on that date.

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