The Northern Irish rap trio Kneecap have described a terror offence cost towards considered one of its members as “political policing” that’s supposed to stifle criticism of Israel’s warfare in Gaza.
“14,000 infants are about to die of hunger in Gaza, with meals despatched by the world sitting on the opposite facet of a wall, and as soon as once more the British institution is targeted on us,” the group mentioned in an announcement on X on Thursday. “It is a carnival of distraction. We aren’t the story, genocide is.”
On Wednesday Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, 27, who performs below the stage title Mo Chara, was charged with a terrorism offence for allegedly displaying a flag in help of Hezbollah at a gig in London. Below the title Liam O’Hanna he’s scheduled to seem at Westminster magistrates courtroom on 18 June.
The Metropolitan police mentioned the rapper was accused of displaying the flag on the O2 Discussion board in Kentish City on 21 November final 12 months “in such a means or in such circumstances as to arouse cheap suspicion that he’s a supporter of a proscribed organisation”.
The Met’s counter-terrorism command was made conscious on Tuesday 22 April of a web-based video from the occasion and carried out an investigation, which led to the Crown Prosecution Service authorising the cost, the power mentioned in an announcement.
The Northern Eire band mentioned it might vehemently contest what it known as a politically motivated cost. “A cost not critical sufficient to even warrant their crown courtroom, as an alternative a courtroom that doesn’t have a jury. What’s the target? To limit our means to journey. To forestall us chatting with younger folks internationally. To silence voices of compassion. To prosecute artists who dare converse out.”
The trio accused the British authorities of abetting slaughter by the Israel Protection Forces. “The IDF models they arm and fly spy aircraft missions for are the true terrorists, the entire world can see it.”
Kneecap’s advocacy for Palestine got here below intense scrutiny after it used a efficiency on the Coachella competition in California final month to denounce Israeli assaults on Gaza.
A video emerged from a November 2023 gig showing to point out one of many trio saying: “The one good Tory is a useless Tory. Kill your native MP.” One other video appeared to point out a banner supporting Hezbollah. Each Hamas and Hezbollah are banned within the UK and it’s a crime to specific help for them.
The group apologised to the households of murdered MPs and mentioned it didn’t help Hamas or Hezbollah and mentioned the controversy was an try to distract from the bombing and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. The assertion on Thursday mentioned the band was on the fitting facet of historical past.
Marketing campaign In opposition to Antisemitism, which reported Kneecap to counter-terrorism police, welcomed the prosecution. “The legislation have to be enforced.”
Simon Harris, Eire’s international minister and tánaiste, advised Dublin’s Newstalk radio that he wouldn’t touch upon the case however that Hezbollah or Hamas shouldn’t be conflated with the Palestinian folks. Harris mentioned Israel’s actions in Gaza was “a constant sample of warfare crimes” and that latest statements from the Israeli authorities meant “we’re very a lot now within the house of genocidal exercise”.
