SPEAKING OUT
Hip-hop trio Kneecap say cops ‘trying to silence them’ at first major gig since Liam O’Hanna charged with terror offence
Their gig follows a 'secret' concert the night before
KNEECAP claimed cops are "trying to silence them" at their first major gig since a band member was charged with a terror offence.
The slammed the charge as "political policing".
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Liam O'Hanna, 27, was charged with a terror offence for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag.
The rapper is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 18.
Appearing onstage at the Wide Awake festival last night, he told fans that police were "trying to silence us before Glastonbury" and urged them to be "on the right side of history."
The rap group performed tracks from their album, including "The Recap," which dropped just hours earlier.
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It begins with a clip of a news report about the counter-terrorism investigation, which was followed by O'Hanna telling fans they'd have to write to him in jail, according to the BBC.
These include sets at the Eden Project in Cornwall and Plymouth Pavilions.
They are listed to perform on the Saturday at Glastonbury, but some politicians have called for the trio to be barred.
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The rapper is due in court the week before the festival starts.
O'Hanna was charged after allegedly displaying the banner in support of the Iranian proxy militants in Lebanon.
The incident is said to have unfolded on November 21 last year at the O2 Forum, in Kentish Town, London.
Officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command launched an urgent probe after being made aware on April 22.
An investigation was carried out after reviewing video footage from the event.
O'Hanna, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was later charged under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Friday's gig follows a smaller "secret" band at London's 100 club the night before.
At least three cops were seen walking into the venue at around 7.35pm.
The Metropolitan Police said a "policing plan" is in place for the Kneecap gig at the 100 Club in central London.
A spokesman said: "A policing plan is in place around tonight's event to ensure it passes off safely.
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"This is primarily in terms of managing visitors to the venue for what we understand is a spontaneous and sold-out event.
"There have been no issues or arrests."
Who are Kneecap?
Kneecap are an Irish hip hop trio from Belfast, Northern Ireland, composed of Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and J. J. Ó Dochartaigh.
Their stage names are Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí, respectively.
They rap in a mixture of English and Irish and their first single C.E.A.R.T.A., cearta meaning rights in Irish, was released in 2017.
Their debut studio album 3CAG followed in 2018., while their second Fine Art was released in 2024.
The group also had a biographical film made about them the same year.
It won a British Academy of Film Award (Bafta) in February 2025.
The Guardian described Kneecap as "the most controversial band in the UK" earlier this year.
In April, the group faced backlash after sharing messages about the war in Gaza during their set at Coachella.
They were dropped by their sponsor and booking agent Independent Artist Group (IAG).
Footage emerged from their gigs have also investigation by counter-terrorism officers.
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