British police have charged Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, a member of the Irish rap group Kneecap, with a terrorism offence for allegedly waving a flag in support of Hezbollah at a concert in London.
Earlier this month, counter-terrorism police said they would investigate online videos allegedly showing the hip-hop trio calling for the death of British MPs and shouting "up Hamas, up Hezbollah".
The band has denied supporting Hamas and Hezbollah — designated terror groups in the UK — or inciting violence against UK politicians.
They've also won backing from some fellow artists and claim to be the target of a "coordinated smear campaign" for their significant and ongoing support of Palestine and Gaza.
Who exactly are Kneecap, and how did we get here?
Who are Kneecap?
Comprising of friends Mo Chara (Ó hAnnaidh), Móglaí Bap (Naoise Ó Cairealláin) and DJ Próvaí (JJ Ó Dochartaigh), Kneecap is known for its use of symbolism associated with the Irish republican movement and its members present themselves as underdogs who give their voice to the oppressed through outspoken political displays.
The band has been praised for invigorating the Irish-language cultural scene in Northern Ireland and exploded in popularity after the release of Kneecap, a feature film loosely based on the band's origins.
Their name is a reference to the practice of "kneecapping," a form of paramilitary punishment during the Northern Ireland Troubles, where people were shot or hit in the legs.
It is just one of the ways in which the group has courted controversy since forming in 2017.
When they appeared at Melbourne's 170 Russell in March, on stage with them was the head of a statue of King George V, which had been missing from the city's Kings Domain since June 2024.
"Some madman dropped by with a huge King George's head so he could hear a few tunes for our last Melbourne show!" the band posted on Instagram.
Why has Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh been charged?
Ó hAnnaidh has been charged under the Anglicised version of his name, Liam O'Hanna, over a gig that took place in November last year, but Metropolitan Police were not made aware of the incident until April, when a video surfaced online.
Police said in a statement that the 27-year-old displayed the Hezbollah flag "in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation".
Ó hAnnaidh is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 18.
What happened at Coachella?
The trio, known for their longstanding support of Palestine and their pro-Palestinian messaging during their concerts, drew international attention when they performed at Coachella Music Festival in April.
During their set, the group displayed a screen that read "F*** Israel. Free Palestine" and "Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people" while leading the audience in chants of "Free Palestine".
Despite support on social media, the performance faced widespread criticism, including from Sharon Osbourne, who accused the band of "hate speech", saying they "turned Coachella into a Hamas fan club".
But Kneecap shot back: "[Our] statements aren't aggressive. Murdering 20,000 children is though."
Why were they reported to police?
The rappers were reported to police over footage from a 2024 concert in which a band member appeared to say: "The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP."
Footage from another concert, in 2023, appears to show a member of the trio shouting "up Hamas, up Hezbollah" — both designated terror groups in the UK.
Police are still investigating footage from the 2023 concert.
London's Metropolitan Police force said officers had concluded "there are grounds for further investigation into potential offences linked to both videos.
Last month, the band was the subject of a heated debate in Britain's House of Commons, where government and opposition MPs criticised the band's comments, noting two members of UK parliament had been murdered since 2016.
The UK said the comments were "completely unacceptable", with a spokesperson for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer saying he did not think "individuals expressing those views should be receiving government funding".
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch labelled the alleged comments "disgusting" and called for prosecution, saying the band "should not be glorifying terrorism".
Meanwhile, First Minister of Scotland John Swinney has backed calls for Kneecap to be dumped from Glasgow's TRNSMT music festival in July, and two British MPs called for the group to be axed from the Glastonbury Festival line-up in June.
'Manufacturing moral hysteria', says band
In a statement on Instagram last month, Kneecap said it had "never supported Hamas or Hezbollah," and accused "establishment figures" of taking comments out of context to "manufacture moral hysteria" because of the band's criticism of Israel's attacks on Palestinians in Gaza.
"Let us be unequivocal: we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah," they said.
"We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never OK.
"We also reject any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual."
They also apologised to the families of Labour Party MP Jo Cox, who was killed in by a far-right attacker in 2016, and Conservative legislator David Amess, murdered in 2021 by an Islamic State supporter.
The group said, "we never intended to cause you hurt."
The trio claimed an extract of footage had been "deliberately taken out of all context".
"[It] is now being exploited and weaponised, as if it were a call to action," they said.
"Kneecap's message has always been — and remains — one of love, inclusion, and hope."
Has there been any support for Kneecap?
Dozens of groups and artists Pulp, Primal Scream and Fontaines DC have rallied around the band, in an escalating row about political messaging at its concerts.
They said there had been a "clear, concerted attempt to censor and ultimately deplatform" Kneecap for their criticism of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, as well as of British colonialism in Ireland and beyond.
Other artists offering their support are The Pogues, Paul Weller, Massive Attack, Dexys and Thin Lizzy.
"As artists, we feel the need to register our opposition to any political repression of artistic freedom," the group said in a joint statement.
Since the row erupted, Kneecap has had several concerts cancelled, including one in south-west England and three in Germany.
The war in Gaza was caused by an attack in Israel by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Israel's military response in Gaza has caused a humanitarian crisis and killed at least 52,243 people, mainly civilians, according to the Hamas-run Palestinian territory's health ministry.
ABC/wires
