In photos: Hundreds gather outside court to protest Kneecap terror charge
- Text by Ella Glossop
- Photography by Ella Glossop
‘Free Mo Charah’ — With drums, smoke and applause, protesters greeted the rapper outside court as he was released on unconditional bail.
Crowds gathered outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday to show solidarity with Irish rap group Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, aka Mo Chara, who was appearing in court on a terror charge.
Ó hAnnaidh, 27, from Belfast, was accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah – a proscribed terrorist organisation – and chanting “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah” during a London gig in November 2023. He denies the charge and has been released on unconditional bail, after his legal team challenged the timing of the prosecution. They argued that the charge, brought in May, fell outside the six-month window required to fall under the magistrates’ court’s jurisdiction. The case is set to return to court on August 20 for a decision on whether it can proceed.
Inside the courtroom, prosecutors stated the case had “nothing to do” with Ó hAnnaidh’s vocal support for Palestine, while the defence suggested the charge was rushed, politically motivated, and potentially unlawful.
Read next: Kneecap describe atrocities in Gaza as “medieval type slaughter” after breaking of ceasefire
Outside, a defiant show of solidarity unfolded. Protesters chanted “Free Mo Chara” and “Free Palestine” as Irish tricolours, Palestinian flags and banners reading “Free Speech, Free Palestine” waved in the wind. The crowd included musicians, politicians, and activists, with the band themselves arriving in T‑shirts bearing the phrase “Free Mo Chara.” A van drove past emblazoned with a twist on a racist 1950s slogan: “More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish, Mo Chara.”
As he left the court, Ó hAnnaidh was greeted with cheers, drums and pink smoke. A member of his legal team addressed the crowd: “Over 18 countries, 100,000 fans, 80 concerts and not a single complaint. Around the world Kneecap are hailed as heroes for speaking truth to power, but in the British court they’ve been criminalised and today the truth was outed.”
“The more they come after Kneecap, the louder they will get.”
Huck photographer Ella Glossop was there to capture the march.
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