Mo Chara says court case distraction from genocide in Gaza

(Web Desk) – A rapper from Irish language rap group Kneecap was greeted by hundreds of supporters waving flags and holding banners as he arrived in court on Wednesday morning on a terror charge.

Surrounded by hundreds of supporters, the Kneecap band member said the case was a distraction from Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs as Mo Chara, has been accused of displaying a flag in support of the Lebanese group, Hezbollah who are a designated terror group in the UK.

London’s Metropolitan Police launched an investigation in April after a video surfaced online of Ó hAnnaidh allegedly displaying the flag during a London gig in 2024. Ó hAnnaidh has denied the charges, saying he does not support Hezbollah and called his prosecution a “carnival of distraction” deflecting from current events in Gaza.

A scrum with photographers broke out as Ó hAnnaidh arrived at London’s Westminster Magistrates Court, alongside fellow bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, as crowds waved Palestinian flags and chanted loudly, “Free Mo Chara.”