By Sam Tobin
LONDON (Reuters) -Hundreds of fans welcomed a member of Irish rap group Kneecap as he arrived at a London court on Wednesday seeking to throw out a terrorism charge for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah.
Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who was initially charged under the Anglicised name Liam O’Hanna and whose stage name is Mo Chara, is alleged to have waved the yellow flag of Hezbollah during a Kneecap gig in London on November 21, 2024.
Ó hAnnaidh is accused of holding up a Hezbollah flag on stage while saying “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah”. Kneecap have previously said the flag was thrown on stage during their performance.
The 27-year-old was charged in May under the Terrorism Act, under which it is a criminal offence to display an article in a way which arouses reasonable suspicion that someone is a supporter of a proscribed organisation.
Ó hAnnaidh appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday wearing the keffiyeh scarf associated with the Palestinian cause and sat alongside an Irish language interpreter.
His bandmates Naoise Ó Cairealláin, stage name Móglaí Bap, and J.J. Ó Dochartaigh, who goes by DJ Próvaí, were also in court, with supporters filling the court’s public gallery.
His lawyers say the charge was brought too late and the prosecution should be thrown out, as Ó hAnnaidh was charged on May 22 this year – one day after the six-month limit for such charges.
Prosecutor Michael Bisgrove, however, argued that Ó hAnnaidh was charged on May 21, exactly within the time limit. Judge Paul Goldspring is expected to issue a ruling later on Wednesday.
Belfast-based Kneecap, who rap in Irish and English and regularly display pro-Palestinian messages during their gigs, previously said the flag had been tossed onto the stage and described the charge as an attempt to silence them.
The group – who rap about Irish identity and support the republican cause of uniting Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland – have been increasingly vocal about the war in Gaza since Ó hAnnaidh was charged.
Kneecap led a 30,000-strong crowd at the Glastonbury Festival in June in chants against Prime Minister Keir Starmer and accused Israel of committing war crimes in its conflict with Hamas in Gaza, an accusation Israel denies.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin; editing by Kate Holton and Mark Heinrich)
