Member of Irish rap band Kneecap faces court on ‘terrorism’ charge

Liam O’Hanna, 27, has been charged with a ‘terror’ offence for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag.

A subordinate of the Irish rap radical Kneecap is owed to look successful court, charged with a “terror” offence for allegedly supporting Hezbollah.

Liam O’Hanna, 27, who performs nether the signifier sanction Mo Chara, volition look astatine the Westminster Magistrates’ Court successful cardinal London connected Wednesday aft helium was charged successful May for displaying a Hezbollah emblem during a London performance successful November.

Kneecap has taken a stance against Israel’s battle connected Gaza, which has killed much than 60,000 radical and reduced overmuch of the enclave to rubble since it began successful October 2023. The Lebanese equipped radical Hezbollah began cross-border attacks into Israel soon aft Israel launched the assault, saying astatine the clip that it was acting successful enactment of Palestinians successful Gaza.

Since Hezbollah was banned successful the United Kingdom successful 2019, it has been an offence to amusement enactment for the Iran-aligned group.

Protest restrictions

The proceeding successful cardinal London is expected to perceive ineligible arguments connected whether the complaint falls extracurricular a six-month clip limit, a tribunal authoritative told the AFP quality agency.

Police person imposed conditions limiting wherever demonstrations successful enactment of O’Hanna tin instrumentality place, saying they were needed to “prevent superior disruption”.

In response, the rap radical described this determination arsenic a “calculated governmental decision” which is simply a “distraction from warfare crimes that the British authorities supports”. Still, they asked supporters to spell retired of their mode to beryllium compliant with the rules, “irrespective of however pitiful”.

Hundreds of fans had cheered extracurricular the cardinal London tribunal successful June erstwhile O’Hanna, oregon Liam Og O hAnnaidh successful Gaelic, made his archetypal appearance, with dozens waving flags and playing drums.

Prosecutor Michael Bisgrove told the erstwhile proceeding the lawsuit was “not astir Mr O’Hanna’s enactment for the radical of Palestine oregon his disapproval of Israel”.

“He is good wrong his rights to dependable his opinions and his solidarity,” Bisgrove said.

Instead, the authoritative said, the lawsuit was astir O’Hanna wearing and displaying “the emblem of Hezbollah, a proscribed violent organisation, portion allegedly saying ‘Up Hamas, up Hezbollah'”.

The punk-rap radical has said the video that led to the complaint was taken retired of context.

Formed successful 2017, the radical is nary alien to controversy, clashing with the UK’s erstwhile Conservative authorities and voicing absorption to British regularisation successful Northern Ireland.

Banned organisations

The proceeding comes amid a increasing contention surrounding enactment for banned organisations successful the UK.

More than 700 radical person been arrested, mostly astatine demonstrations, since the Palestine Action group was outlawed successful aboriginal July.

The prohibition came into unit days aft Palestine Action took work for a break-in astatine an aerial unit basal successful confederate England that caused an estimated 7 cardinal pounds ($9.5 million) of harm to 2 aircraft.

The radical said its activists were responding to the UK’s indirect subject enactment for Israel during the warfare successful Gaza.