Kneecap Rapper Mo Chara Charged with Terrorism Offense Over Hezbollah Flag Display

A member of the Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap has been charged with a terrorism offense in the U.K. for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed Shia Muslim political and military organization based in Lebanon, during a concert in London, the Metropolitan Police announced Wednesday.

Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, 27, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was charged under the name Liam O’Hanna following an incident on Nov. 21, 2024, at the O2 Forum Kentish Town, a music venue in north London.

The police allege Ó hAnnaidh displayed a Hezbollah flag “in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation.” The charge was authorized by the Crown Prosecution Service after counter-terrorism officers became aware of an online video of the event on April 22, 2025, prompting an investigation.

Ó hAnnaidh, a Belfast native, was notified of the charge via mail and is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 18, 2025. Kneecap, in a statement posted on Instagram, denied the offense, describing it as “political policing” and a “carnival of distraction.”

The band asserted, “We are not the story. Genocide is,” referencing the ongoing conflict in Gaza, and claimed the charge relates to “a flag thrown on stage.” They further stated, “Instead of defending innocent people, or the principles of international law they claim to uphold, the powerful in Britain have abetted slaughter and famine in Gaza, just as they did in Ireland for centuries,” concluding, “We will fight you in your court. We will win. Free Palestine.”

Kneecap, formed in 2017 by Ó hAnnaidh, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí, has risen to prominence with provocative Irish-language rap and merchandise, drawing parallels between the historical oppression of the Irish by England and the Palestinian experience under Israel.

Their activism has fueled controversy, notably after their April 2025 Coachella performance, where they displayed messages on three screens accusing Israel of “committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” criticizing U.S. support for Israel’s actions, and concluding with “F*** Israel. Free Palestine.”

The band later shared these messages on social media, captioned, “Some uncensored messaging to Coachella.”

The performance led to significant backlash, including the cancellation of several gigs and their U.S. visa sponsor, Independent Artist Group, dropping them. Former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne also called for the revocation of their U.S. work visas.

Earlier in May 2025, the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command launched an investigation into Kneecap after videos surfaced allegedly showing the group shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” and stating, “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP,” during the November 2024 London concert.

Both Hamas and Hezbollah are banned in the U.K., where expressing support for them is a criminal offense. Another video, from November 2023, showed a band member making similar remarks about British Conservative politicians, known as Tories, and Members of Parliament (MPs). The comments drew heightened scrutiny given the murders of British MPs Jo Cox in 2016 and David Amess in 2021. Kneecap issued an apology to the families of Cox and Amess for the remarks.

The band has denied supporting Hamas or Hezbollah, stating in a prior release, “We do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah,” and described the videos as “deliberately taken out of all context” and “weaponized” as part of a “smear campaign” targeting their criticism of Israel and U.S. policies in Gaza.

Kneecap’s manager, Daniel Lambert, told Irish broadcaster RTÉ that the controversy is an attempt to deter young artists from speaking out on Palestine, saying, “This has nothing to do with Kneecap… it’s about telling the next young band… that you cannot speak about Palestine.”

Kneecap’s rise, marked by a semi-fictionalized film starring Oscar-nominated actor Michael Fassbender, which won a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award in February 2025, has been overshadowed by these incidents.

The group faced additional criticism last year when Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch referenced their videos while criticizing the Labour government for settling a legal case brought by Kneecap. The case related to Badenoch’s decision, when she was a minister, to withdraw an arts grant from the group.

Despite the controversies, Kneecap is scheduled to headline the Wide Awake festival in Brockwell Park, south London, tomorrow (Friday).