Liam O’Hanna, a member of the Irish rap band Kneecap(Irish Rapper) known by his stage name Mo Chara, has been charged with a “terrorism” offense in the United Kingdom. The charge stems from an incident in November 2024 where O’Hanna displayed a flag of the armed Lebanese group Hezbollah at a concert in London. British police announced that O’Hanna is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on June 18.
Kneecap, a Belfast-based trio, has been vocal in its support for the Palestinian cause and has drawn controversy for its pro-Palestinian chants and lyrics. The band has equated the struggles of the Irish under British colonial rule to that of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation and siege. During a performance at the Coachella music festival in California, the band projected the words “F* Israel. Free Palestine” on stage. Mo Chara also stated, “The Irish not so long ago were persecuted by the Brits, but we were never bombed from the f* skies with nowhere to go! The Palestinians have nowhere to go – it’s their f* home and they’re bombing them from the sky. If you’re not calling it a genocide what the f* are you calling it?”
The band has faced intense scrutiny and criticism for its lyrics and use of symbolism associated with the Irish Republican movement. UK intelligence announced an investigation into comments made by the rap group about UK and Middle East politics after footage emerged of a band member appearing to say, “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.” Additionally, footage from another concert appears to show a member of the trio shouting “Up Hamas, Up Hezbollah,” both of which are considered “terrorist” organizations by the UK.
In response to the controversy, Kneecap stated that it has “never supported Hamas or Hezbollah” and accused “establishment figures” of taking comments out of context to “manufacture moral hysteria” due to the band’s criticism of Israel’s attacks on Palestinians in Gaza. Several Kneecap gigs have been canceled as a result of the controversy, and some British lawmakers have called for the band’s planned performance at the Glastonbury Festival to be scrapped.