Rewritten Article:
A member of the Irish-language rap group Kneecap has been charged with a terrorism offense by UK police following allegations that he displayed a flag supporting Hezbollah during a performance last year.
Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, 27, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was charged Wednesday under the Terrorism Act 2000. He is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 18.
The charge relates to allegedly displaying a flag “in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organization,” according to the Metropolitan Police. Hezbollah is classified as a proscribed organization in the UK. If convicted, the charge carries a potential penalty of up to six months imprisonment and/or a fine.
The charge follows an investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command into footage recorded by an audience member at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London, in November 2024.
This development concludes weeks of controversy surrounding the Belfast-based group, which has used performances, including at California’s Coachella festival last month, to criticize Israel’s military actions in Gaza. The band displayed Gaza-related messaging at Coachella.
The group has stated that critics “want to silence criticism of a mass slaughter” and maintains it does not support Hamas or Hizbollah, saying it “condemns all attacks on civilians, always.” Kneecap’s manager did not respond to requests for comment, and the band indicated it would issue a statement later.
In a social media post, the band shared footage from a January RTÉ program where Ó hAnnaidh stated, “I don’t want to be 80, 90 years of age and my grandkids asking me about the Palestinian genocide? Me sitting there being like, Fuck, I didn’t do enough. I don’t wanna be on that side of history.”
The trio, consisting of Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise O’Cairealláin (Móglaí Bap), and James John Ó Dochartaigh (DJ Próvaí), performs with theatrical personas centered around Republican themes. Ó Dochartaigh wears an Irish tricolor balaclava during performances, and the band’s name references a punishment method used during Northern Ireland’s Troubles.
Kneecap has gained significant cultural attention following an award-winning fictional comedy about their formation. The group maintains its position against Israel while asserting it does not support Hamas and Hezbollah.
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