A member of rap group Kneecap has been charged with a terror offence, the Metropolitan Police have 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, northwest London, on 21 November last year, the force said.
O’Hanna, of Belfast, was charged by postal requisition and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 18 June, the Met said.
Officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command were made aware on 22 April of an online video from the event, the force said.
O’Hanna was charged with displaying a flag, “in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation”, it said.
The force added: “Officers from the Met’s counter terrorism command were made aware on Tuesday, April 22, of an online video from the event. An investigation was carried out, which led to the Crown Prosecution Service authorising the above charge.”
Active in Lebanon, Hezbollah is a Shia Muslim political party and military group which has been involved in violent clashes with Israeli forces in the country. It is a proscribed terrorist group in the United Kingdom, described by the Home Office as “committed to armed resistance to the state of Israel”.
The government’s guidance adds that the group “aims to seize all Palestinian territories and Jerusalem from Israel” and “supports terrorism in Iraq and the Palestinian territories”.
Earlier this month, the Met said it was investigating videos shared online of Kneecap band members allegedly calling for the death of British MPs and shouting “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah”.
Responding to the claims, the group said they have never supported Hamas or Hezbollah and would not incite violence against any person. The group apologised last month to the families of murdered MPs David Amess and Jo Cox, but said footage of the incident had been “exploited and weaponised”. The trio added that they “never intended to cause you hurt”.
The group said: “Kneecap’s message has always been – and remains – one of love, inclusion, and hope. This is why our music resonates across generations, countries, classes and cultures and has brought hundreds of thousands of people to our gigs. No smear campaign will change that.”
Releasing their first single in 2017, Kneecap quickly rose to fame and released an album, Fine Art, and a successful self-titled film in 2024. The group’s work deals with political themes with a focus on Irish republicanism. The trio is also outspoken about the conflict in Gaza, often criticising Israel’s actions in the region.
