Hundreds protest as Kneecap rapper appears in court on terror charge
Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig in November last year.
Hundreds of Kneecap supporters waving flags and holding banners have greeted one of the rap trio’s members as he arrived at court for allegedly supporting a proscribed terror organisation.
Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig in November last year.
Demonstrations in support of the rapper were organised outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London where he arrived on Wednesday, as well as in Dublin.
The Metropolitan Police has imposed conditions limiting where the demonstration outside the court can take place, saying they are needed to “prevent serious disruption”.
O hAnnaidh, who arrived at court alongside fellow bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, was swamped by photographers outside, with security officers taking more than a minute to usher him into the court building.
Mr O Caireallain and Mr O Dochartaigh sat at the back of the courtroom with three others as O hAnnaidh confirmed his name, date of birth and address to the court at the start of the hearing.
O hAnnaidh’s defence team are seeking to throw the case out, citing a technical error in the way the charge against him was brought.
Brenda Campbell KC told the court the Attorney General had not given permission for the case to be brought against the defendant when police informed him he was to face a terror charge on May 21.
Prosecutor Michael Bisgrove said permission was not required until the defendant’s first court appearance.
Hundreds of supporters greeted the Kneecap rapper with cheers as he made his way from a silver people-carrier to the building.
Fans held signs which read “Free Mo Chara” while others waved Palestine and Irish flags before the rapper’s arrival at court.
Chants of “free, free, Mo Chara” could also be heard over a megaphone, which was repeated by the crowd.
In response to the Met imposing conditions on the protest, Kneecap described this move as a “calculated political decision” that was “designed to try and portray support for Kneecap as somehow troublesome”, and “asked supporters to go out of your way to be compliant with all instructions issued, irrespective of how pitiful”.
O hAnnaidh received a rockstar welcome when he appeared at the same court in June, supported by Mr O Caireallain and Mr O Dochartaigh.
He was greeted by a festival-like atmosphere for his first court appearance, with dozens of fans waving flags, playing drums and one supporter setting off a smoke canister.
The court previously heard the 27-year-old defendant is “well within his rights” to voice his opinions on the Israel-Palestine conflict, but the alleged incident at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, was a “wholly different thing”.
O hAnnaidh is yet to enter a plea to the charge.
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