Kneecap have released a statement criticising the Metropolitan Police for banning fans from gathering outside Westminster Magistrates Court for Mo Chara’s court appearance tomorrow (September 26).
Chara – real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh – will appear for his third court hearing on terror charges, with the previous two attracting hundreds of fans and protesters showing support for the Irish rapper.
The group have called on their fans to show up in London “to support Liam Óg & Kneecap against British State repression”, telling supporters to “Bring your flags, keffiyeh and voices”.
The politically charged rappers have now taken to social media to claim that the police have “just invoked a section 14 for our supporters tomorrow” which means any protesters who appear outside the Westminster Magistrates Court will risk arrest.
“They previously, and in our view needlessly, did this before the last court date, but this time have removed our supporters from anywhere close to the court entrance. This is petty in the extreme.
“We massively appreciate the support of what we know are the majority of the public, who can see this farce for what it is. It is a distraction from war crimes that the British state still support every single day in Gaza.”
They continued: “In our view this police action is designed to try and portray support for Kneecap as somehow troublesome, and to keep our support far away view when we arrive and depart.”
They then went on to claim that this is a calculated political decision taken the day before Mo Chara’s court appearance, saying: “There is no basis for this, both our last hearings were entirely peaceful and a loving show of solidarity with the most disruptive attendees being the right wing media and the police themselves who arrested a man for holding a sign only to release him later with no charge.
“We know all of our supporters will be, but please go out of your way to be compliant with all instructions issues, irrespective of how pitiful.”
The official Met Police document gives more insight into the details, including a map showing a small shaded area where Kneecap’s supporters “must remain”.
The document reads: “I hereby give a direction imposing the following conditions on the persons organising or taking part in the assembly, which appear to me to be necessary to prevent serious disorder, damage, disruption, impact or intimidation.
“Any person taking part in the Kneecap & The Irish Brigade assembly in support of Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh must remain within the shaded area on the attached map.”
The third hearing of the high profile court case will take place tomorrow (Friday September 26) at Westminster Magistrates Court as Mo Chara faces terror charges for allegedly showing support for Hezbollah – a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK – during a live show last year.
Kneecap and Chara have consistently denied supporting either Hamas or Hezbollah, saying they “do not incite or condone violence” and arguing that the legal action is just a “carnival of distraction.”
