The lead vocalist of Fontaines D.C. has labelled the terror charge against Kneecap’s Mo Chara as a “witch hunt”. Grian Chatten, 29, has vowed to show solidarity with his compatriot from the Irish hip-hop trio.
The Met Police alleged that Kneecap showed support for the banned organisation Hezbollah by displaying a flag at their O2 Forum Kentish Town performance in London in November 2024. Band member Mo Chara now faces a terrorism-related charge and is due to appear before the court on June 18.
Grian, whose own group Fontaines D. C. recently projected messages of “free Palestine” and “Israel is committing genocide, use your voice” during their set at Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona, insists he won’t be silenced in expressing support for Palestine or his fellow Irish musician.
Speaking to The Irish Times, he declared: “It’s a categorical witch hunt, and that’s fairly plain to see to anyone who has a discerning eye. I stand by their side, and I’m totally unafraid to do so. I think all of us are.”
He also referenced iconic ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ singer Sinéad O’Connor, who was known for using her musical influence to speak up about injustice. He said: “No matter how scary it gets out there, don’t stop talking about Palestine. If Sinéad O’Connor was still around, she’d be outspoken and likely face another media frenzy against her too. So, yeah, that’s what I think about it.”
Grian added: “I just think when you become aware of the facts, how many people are dying… I don’t really want to live in a world where people turn a blind eye to those things. And I think the best thing for us to do, as people with platforms, is to lead by example.”
Taking to Instagram to address their charges, Kneecap stated: “We deny this ‘offence’ and will vehemently defend ourselves. This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction.”
The group added: “14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British establishment is focused on us. We are on the right side of history. You are not. We will fight you in court. We will win.”
Despite some setbacks with show cancellations, Kneecap are still gearing up to take the stage at Glastonbury, scheduled to perform at the West Holts stage at Worthy Farm on Saturday, June 28 at 4pm, despite calls from MPs for their performance to be barred.
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