Kneecap Member Charged With Terror Offence Over Hezbollah Flag

Kneecap member Mo Chara has been charged with a terror offence following an incident where he allegedly displayed a Hezbollah flag during a London concert in November 2024.

As per Rolling Stone AU/NZ, London Metropolitan Police began investigating the Irish rap trio member in April 2025 after a video surfaced online showing Chara (whose birth name is Liam O’Hanna) displaying the flag during their performance.

In the controversial footage, the group can allegedly be heard shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” and making threatening remarks toward British politicians, including “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”

Police stated that O’Hanna displayed the flag “in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation,” which led to the Crown Prosecution Service authorising charges. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are banned organisations in the UK, making it illegal to show support for either group.

Following news of the investigation, Kneecap released a statement firmly denying any support for these organisations: “Let us be unequivocal: we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah.” The group claimed the footage was “an extract of footage, deliberately taken out of all context, is now being exploited and weaponised, as if it were a call to action.”

While the concert took place in November 2024, authorities weren’t made aware of the incident until the video appeared online in April 2025. O’Hanna received the charge via mail and is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 18th June.

This incident follows controversy during Kneecap’s performance at Coachella last month, where their pro-Palestine messaging was removed from the festival’s livestream during the first weekend and sparked further debate during their second weekend appearance.