NewsHail
25 May 2025
Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, a member of the rap group Kneecap, was charged by London police. They say he showed a flag linked to the banned Lebanese group Hezbollah during a concert last year.
The band says they did nothing wrong. They called the charge "political policing" and said it is a way to distract people from what is happening in Gaza.
On stage at the Wide Awake Festival in London, Ó hAnnaidh said the government is trying to silence the band before they play at Glastonbury. He told fans not to be "on the wrong side of history."
“I know we’re here to enjoy music,” he said, “but the world needs to hear us. We need to show 20,000 people standing together saying, ‘Free, free Palestine!’”
The crowd in Brixton’s Brockwell Park chanted with him.
The UN said Gaza is in the "cruellest phase" of the war. Over 9,000 trucks of aid are waiting at the border.
Kneecap’s frontman, Mo Chara, reminded fans: “Let’s be thankful we are here with our friends, not under bombs.”
Israel began attacking Gaza after Hamas crossed the border on October 7, 2023. About 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. Israel says 58 hostages are still in Gaza, with 20 likely alive.
Gaza’s health ministry says over 53,000 people have been killed, including 16,500 children.
Kneecap is known for mixing strong anti-government lyrics with dance music. They rap in Irish and English. They talk about Irish politics, parties, and Gaza.
Fans love their bold style. Critics say they are dangerous.
Some UK politicians, like Kemi Badenoch, want them banned. At a concert in California last month, they said Israel’s actions in Gaza were “US-funded genocide.” That led to backlash. Some people called them antisemitic and supporters of terror.
Police later looked at videos from their past shows. In one, a band member seemed to shout, “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah.” Both groups are banned in the UK, and it is a crime to support them.
In another video, they appeared to call for violence against Conservative MPs. The band said the clip was taken out of context. They said they do not support Hamas or Hezbollah.
They repeated that they were being “made an example of” on stage at Friday’s show.
That night’s gig was their first big one since the police began looking into them. The band also played a secret show at London’s 100 Club the night before.
They played tracks from their album Fine Art, which is now getting more streams after the controversy. They also performed a new song, The Recap, which starts with a news clip about the police case.
Fans wore Irish and Palestinian flags. They danced and sang along.
Myrtle, from Brighton, said, “They’re right. We need to speak up now. If we don’t, we’ll feel guilty later.”
She added: “It’s awful one of them was charged. But it’s helped more people notice the issue.”
The show ended with big performances of Get Your Brits Out and H.O.O.D. The crowd shouted “Tiocfaidh ár lá,” an Irish slogan meaning “our day will come.”
Not everyone agreed with the band. John, who lives in Brixton, said, “They’re either clueless or they support violence. Do they really know what Ireland was like before the peace deal?”
Gwen, a fan from Orkney, saw Kneecap’s BAFTA-winning film. She used to live in an Israeli kibbutz and met both Israelis and Palestinians. She said most people in Israel want peace and are tired of fear.
She added, “I like Kneecap even more now. They are standing up for Gaza.”
Michael “Mikey J” Asante, who made music for the band’s film, said, “This is about freedom of speech. People in power need to make the right call.”
Ó hAnnaidh joked with fans at the show, telling them to write him letters in jail. “Get your grannies to light a wee candle for me,” he said.
The Wide Awake Festival confirmed earlier this month that the show would go on. They said they had “positive talks” with key people.
But not all of the band’s shows are going ahead. Their gigs in Cornwall and Plymouth were canceled. Police in Scotland say they’ll need extra officers if the band plays at the TRNSMT festival.
UK leader Lucy Powell said Kneecap should not play at Glastonbury, where they are set to perform next month. Ó hAnnaidh’s court date is one week before the festival.
Still, other artists support Kneecap. CMAT, Massive Attack, Primal Scream, Paul Weller, and Annie Mac said officials are overreacting to a young band. They said real focus should be on Gaza.
