In a significant development for the Irish-language rap sensation Kneecap, a London judge on Friday officially dismissed a terrorism charge against one of its members. The court determined that prosecutors had failed to present the charge in the proper legal format and within the stipulated timeframe.
The charge, initially filed in May by British prosecutors, targeted rapper Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, better known as Mo Chara. He was accused of displaying a flag associated with Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based militant group classified as a terrorist organization by Britain. Under UK law, public display of symbols linked to such groups is prohibited.
Mr. Ó hAnnaidh, formally charged as Liam O’Hanna, previously stated in interviews that he unknowingly picked up the flag during a concert last year after it was thrown onto the stage by an audience member.
The presiding judge, Paul Goldspring, sided with Mr. Ó hAnnaidh’s defense team, confirming their arguments from earlier hearings that the prosecution had exceeded the legal time limit for bringing the charge.
Despite primarily rapping in Irish, Kneecap has seen a surge in popularity among English-speaking audiences over the past year. This rise is attributed to a successful comedy film chronicling the band’s formation and their outspoken pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel commentary during live performances.
Boasting over 1.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the group recently performed a sold-out 12,500-capacity concert in London. During this show, large screens prominently displayed ‘Free Palestine’ and other anti-Israel messages.
Kneecap’s outspoken views on the Middle East have frequently led to controversy. In April, they lost their U.S. visa sponsorship following anti-Israel comments made at California’s Coachella festival. Subsequently, in August, the band was forced to cancel a planned U.S. tour, which included two sold-out performances in New York.
The band faces similar restrictions elsewhere, having been previously barred from entering Hungary. Last week, the Canadian government also denied entry to Kneecap members, scuttling a short tour set to begin in Toronto on October 14. Vince Gasparro, Canada’s parliamentary secretary for reducing crime, publicly stated in a video that Kneecap had “amplified political violence” and “publicly displayed support for terrorist organizations.”
In direct response, Kneecap announced on Instagram their intention to pursue legal action against Mr. Gasparro, calling his comments “wholly untrue and deeply malicious.” The band’s statement emphasized their commitment to “be relentless in defending ourselves against baseless accusations to silence our opposition to genocide being committed in Israel.”
This London court decision marks Kneecap’s second legal triumph recently. In July, police in southwestern England concluded an investigation into comments made by the band at Glastonbury, the UK’s largest music festival. While specific comments weren’t detailed by authorities, the band openly declared “Israel are war criminals” and led massive crowd chants of “Free, free, Palestine” during their performance.