A member of rap group Kneecap has been charged with a terror offence, the Metropolitan Police said. Liam O’Hanna, 27, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, has been charged over the displaying of a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, North West London, on November 21 last year, the force said.
O’Hanna, of Belfast, was charged by postal requisition and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 18, the Met said. Officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command were made aware on April 22 of an online video from the event, the force said.
An investigation led to the Crown Prosecution Service authorising the charge. Earlier this month, the Metropolitan Police said Kneecap was being investigated by counter-terrorism police after videos emerged allegedly showing the band calling for the deaths of MPs and shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”.
The Belfast rap trio have had several gigs cancelled after the footage emerged. The group apologised last month to the families of murdered MPs but claimed footage of the incident had been “exploited and weaponised”, while they also said they have “never supported” Hamas or Hezbollah, which are both banned organisations in the UK.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has called for Kneecap to be banned while other politicians pushed for the group to be dropped from the Glastonbury Festival line-up.
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