Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap have pulled out of this year’s TRNSMT Festival following calls for the group to be removed from the line-up.
The Belfast-based group were scheduled to perform at Glasgow Green in July, but will no longer appear following news that group member Liam O’Hanna has been charged by the Metropolitan Police.
O’Hanna, 27 – who performs under the stage name Mo Chara – was charged with allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a designated terrorist organisation in the UK.
The charge relates to an incident that reportedly took place on November 21, 2023, during a performance at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London.
In the wake of the controversy, Kneecap will instead perform at the O2 Academy on Tuesday, July 8 — the same week they were due to appear at TRNSMT.
In a statement on social media, Kneecap said: “‘Due to concerns expressed by the Police about safety at the event, Kneecap can no longer perform at TRNSMT’. To the thousands of people who bought tickets, flights and hotels to see us play, we are sorry … it is out of our hands.”
They continued: “Glasgow has always been a huge city for us. We’ve played there many many times, with no issues – ever. Make of that what you will. To try and make up for it, we will be at your O2 Academy on Tuesday July 8th. Pre-sale is tomorrow at 10am in our WhatsApp channel. General sale is 10am this coming Saturday.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson told the Scottish Sun: “Any decision on the line up at TRNSMT is for the organisers and there was no prior consultation with Police Scotland before acts were booked. Officers have highlighted the potential reaction of such a large audience to this band would require a significant policing operation in order to support the delivery of a safe event. We have also passed on information from the public around safety concerns to allow organisers to make an informed decision on the running of the festival.”
The news comes just days after it was announced that O’Hanna had been charged over the alleged incident last year. He is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 18.
In a statement at the time, the Met said: “Liam O’Hanna, 27, (16.10.97) of Belfast has been charged, via postal requisition, with displaying a flag in support of Hizballah, a proscribed organisation, namely: On 21 November 2024, in a public place, namely the O2 Forum, Kentish Town, London, displayed an article, namely a flag, in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation, namely Hizballah, contrary to section 13(1)(b) and (3) of the Terrorism Act 2000.”
The force added: “Officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command were made aware on Tuesday, 22 April of an online video from the event. An investigation was carried out, which led to the Crown Prosecution Service authorising the above charge.”
Taking to Instagram with a statement, the band previously said: “14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again, the British establishment is focused on us.
“We deny this ‘offence’ and will vehemently defend ourselves. This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction. We are not the story. Genocide is. As they profit from genocide, they use an ‘anti-terror law’ against us for displaying a flag thrown on stage.
“A charge not serious enough to even warrant their ‘crown court’, instead a court that doesn’t have a jury. What’s the objective? To restrict our travel ability. To prevent us speaking to young people across the world. To silence voices of compassion. To prosecute artists who dare to speak out.
“Instead of defending innocent people, or the principles of international law they claim to uphold, the powerful in Britain have abetted slaughter and famine in Gaza, just as they did in Ireland for centuries. Then, like now, they claim justification. The IDF units they arm and fly spy plane missions for are the real terrorists, the whole world can see it.
“We stand proudly with the people. You stand complicit with the war criminals. We are on the right side of history. You are not. We will fight you in court. We will win. Free Palestine.”
Source: Mirror
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