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The
Metropolitan Police force said Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, 27, was
charged under the Terrorism Act with displaying a flag in
support a proscribed organization. The alleged offense happened
at the Kentish Town Forum, a London venue, on Nov. 21, 2024.
The force said the musician — whose stage name is Mo Chara, and
whom police referred to by the English spelling of his name,
Liam O’Hanna — is due in court on June 18.
Earlier this month, police said Kneecap was being investigated
by counterterror detectives after videos emerged allegedly
showing the band shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” and calling
on people to kill lawmakers.
After the police investigation was announced, Kneecap said it
had “never supported Hamas or Hezbollah,” and accused
“establishment figures” of taking comments out of context to
“manufacture moral hysteria.”
The Belfast trio has been praised for invigorating the
Irish-language cultural scene in Northern Ireland, where the
status of the language remains a contested political issue in a
society still split between British unionist and Irish
nationalist communities.
It has also been criticized for lyrics laden with expletives and
drug references and for political statements.
Police said they are still investigating footage from another
Kneecap concert in November 2023.
Several Kneecap gigs have been canceled as a result of the
controversy, and some British lawmakers have called on
organizers of next month's Glastonbury Festival to scrap a
planned performance.
Kneecap was not well known outside Northern Ireland before the
release of a raucous feature film loosely based on the band’s
origins and fueled by a heavy mix of drugs, sex, violence,
politics and humor.
The group’s members played themselves in “Kneecap,” which won an
audience award when it was screened at the 2024 Sundance Film
Festival. It was shortlisted for best foreign-language picture
and best original song at this year’s Academy Awards, though it
didn’t make the final cut.
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