Kneecap have once again called on fans to show up in London ahead of a court appearance this week.
The band’s Mo Chara – real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh – has been charged over an alleged incident where he reportedly displayed a Hezbollah flag during a Kneecap show last November. Hezbollah is listed as a proscribed terrorist organisation by the UK government.
Kneecap have consistently denied supporting either Hamas or Hezbollah, and said that they do not incite or condone violence. They have also argued that the footage at the UK shows had been taken out of context, and described the legal action as a “carnival of distraction”.
He has already appeared in court twice because of the charge, and is now set to appear again for another hearing on Friday (September 26).
Ahead of the appearance this week, Kneecap – along with Irish In London For Palestine, Thanet For Palestine, and Speit – have shared a joint post on social media, asking for fans to come along and show their support.
In the new post, fans are encouraged to gather at Westminster Magistrates Court at 9am on the day of the case, and bring their “flags, keffiyeh and voices”.
“Get yizzer selves down to support Liam Óg & Kneecap against British State repression,” the post read. “If you’re out for the day please consider heading down to the Old Bailey after to support our comrades from the Filton24.”
“We will not stay silent. An injury to one is an injury to all. Free Palestine, from the river to the sea,” it added, also saying there would be a “line-up of speakers and musicians” there too.
Kneecap also shared their own statement on Twitter/X, posting the same poster and calling out 10 Downing Street.
“The witch-hunt continues,” they said. “Isaac Herzog, a man the UN says is complicit in genocide, was welcomed to Downing Street last week for tea. Mo Chara meanwhile, who has spoken against genocide across the world, they allege is a terrorist.”
They added: “We will not speaking out. We will not be silent. Fuck Keir Starmer.”
The Belfast rap trio have seen their profile on the rise and courted more international controversy and headlines since their divisive Coachella appearance in April, where they shared their long-held pro-Palestine stance and told the crowd that “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people… it is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes” .
Chara then found himself charged over an alleged incident where he reportedly displayed a Hezbollah flag during a Kneecap show last November, and it emerged that counter-terror police were assessing footage from their O2 Forum Kentish Town show in London which showed a member shouting “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah.”
This Friday 9am the witch-hunt continues….
Come and show your support outside Westminster Magistrates Court. 💚🤍🧡
Isaac Herzog, a man the UN says is complicit in genocide, was welcomed to Downing Street last week for tea.
Mo Chara meanwhile, who has spoken against… pic.twitter.com/PHll4H8C4J
— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) September 22, 2025
Responding to the charge at the time, the group said that they deny the offence and will “vehemently defend ourselves”. “This is political policing,” they wrote. “This is a carnival of distraction. We are not the story. Genocide is.”
Ahead of the first court appearance in June, the members urged fans to show their support at Westminster with “a big bag of ket” – and posting billboards across London. Paul Weller was spotted among the supporters, and that appearance came shortly after the singer had signed an open letter by Love Music Hate Racism, which rallied “against the attempts to silence [Kneecap] for speaking out for Gaza”.
Chara’s appearance in June saw him released on unconditional bail, and Kneecap‘s manager later recounted the “funniest moment” of the day.
On August 20, he appeared in court again and it was decided that the terrorism case would be adjourned until September.
The rapper arrived to chants of “free Mo Chara” from the huge crowd that gathered, and at the hearing, judgment was reserved. Later this week, Judge Paul Goldspring will give his decision on whether he has jurisdiction to hear the case.
Chara’s lawyers are trying to have the case thrown out, arguing that the terror charge against him was brought outside the time limit. They claim that it was brought a day after the six-month limit for such charges.
However, prosecutors say the charge was brought exactly within the time limit.
Addressing the crowds after that second hearing, Mo Chara thanked supporters for coming and told them: “We know this story is more than just about me. It’s more than Kneecap; this is a story about Palestine and us as a distraction from the real story.
“We know, unfortunately, this story will end up in the media today, while Israel commits genocide at the same time,” he continued. “So, everybody, continue to speak about Palestine, free Palestine, thank you all for coming.”
Kneecap have been forced to cancel their US tour dates due to the proximity of them to the court appearances, and last week it was reported that the Irish trio launched a legal attack on Canadian MP Vince Gasparro after being banned from entering Canada.
Announcing the ban last Monday (September 15), the Canadian Liberal MP and Parliamentary Secretary for Combating Crime said that the group has “amplified political violence and publicly displayed support for terrorist organisations such as Hezbollah and Hamas.”
“These are not expressions of art or legitimate political critique,” Gasparro added. “They are dangerous endorsements of violence and hate.”
Kneecap were due to perform in Toronto and Vancouver in October. A Jewish organisation in the country has been pushing for the government to deny them entry since June.
In response to the ban, the members called his statements “wholly untrue and deeply malicious”.
“We have today instructed our lawyers to initiate legal action against you,” they said. “We will be relentless in defending ourselves against baseless accusations to silence our opposition to a genocide being committed by Israel.
“When we beat you in court, which we will, we will donate every cent to assist some of the thousands of child amputees in Gaza,” they added.
Israel rejects accusations of genocide and denies committing any war crimes, maintaining that its operations are lawful acts of self-defence.
Last week (September 18), Kneecap also played their biggest England gig to date at the 12,500-capacity OVO Wembley Arena.
While there, Massive Attack and Ben Jamal introduced them to the stage, describing them as “a band who refused to be silenced for their solidarity with the Palestinian people”.
In a five-star review of the gig, NME shared: “You don’t pull off a gig like that on controversy alone. You need bangers and you need a culture to fill this room. Kneecap have all that, and they’re a fucking good laugh.
“There’s no call for violence, there’s nothing that should land someone in front of a judge, just solidarity and a rave against the dying of the light. Just 24 hours earlier in this same room, Together For Palestine put on all-star fundraiser for the cause, the biggest of its kind.”
“It’s significant like gigs like this should happen at a time like now,” it added. “The state may try to crush them, but Kneecap have a power of their own. As they spit on ‘It’s Been Ages’: “Controversy won’t phase us, we hold all the cards and they’re aces, try to protect your kids but they’ll hear us.”
