Kneecap say terrorism rate is ‘political policing’

The Northern Irish rap trio Kneecap have described an apprehension offence rate in opposition to one in every of its participants as “political policing” this is meant to stifle complaint of Israel’s battle in Gaza.

“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,” the gang mentioned in a observation on X on Thursday. “This is a carnival of distraction. We are not the story, genocide is.”

On Wednesday Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, 27, who plays beneath the level identify Mo Chara, was once charged with a terrorism offence for allegedly exhibiting a flag in improve of Hezbollah at a gig in London. Under the identify Liam O’Hanna he’s scheduled to seem at Westminster magistrates court docket on 18 June.

The Metropolitan police mentioned the rapper was once accused of exhibiting the flag on the O2 Forum in Kentish Town on 21 November closing 12 months “in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation”.

The Met’s counter-terrorism command was once made conscious on Tuesday 22 April of an internet video from the development and performed an investigation, which ended in the Crown Prosecution Service authorising the rate, the pressure mentioned in a observation.

The Northern Ireland band mentioned it might vehemently contest what it known as a politically motivated rate. “A charge not serious enough to even warrant their crown court, instead a court that doesn’t have a jury. What’s the objective? To restrict our ability to travel. To prevent us speaking to young people across the world. To silence voices of compassion. To prosecute artists who dare speak out.”

The trio accused the British government of abetting slaughter by way of the Israel Defense Forces. “The IDF units they arm and fly spy plane missions for are the real terrorists, the whole world can see it.”

Kneecap’s advocacy for Palestine got here beneath intense scrutiny after it used a efficiency on the Coachella pageant in California closing month to denounce Israeli assaults on Gaza.

A video emerged from a November 2023 gig showing to turn some of the trio announcing: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.” Another video perceived to display a banner supporting Hezbollah. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are banned in the United Kingdom and this can be a crime to specific improve for them.

The staff apologised to the households of murdered MPs and mentioned it didn’t improve Hamas or Hezbollah and mentioned the talk was once an try to distract from the bombing and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The observation on Thursday mentioned the band was once at the proper facet of historical past.

Campaign Against Antisemitism, which reported Kneecap to counter-terrorism police, welcomed the prosecution. “The law must be enforced.”

Simon Harris, Ireland’s overseas minister and tánaiste, advised Dublin’s Newstalk radio that he would no longer remark at the case however that Hezbollah or Hamas must no longer be conflated with the Palestinian other people. Harris mentioned Israel’s movements in Gaza was once “a consistent pattern of war crimes” and that fresh statements from the Israeli executive supposed “we’re very much now in the space of genocidal activity”.