Kneecap have thanked the hundreds of supporters who showed up at Westminster Magistrates Court yesterday for the latest hearing on the terror offence charge that has been filed against band member Mo Chara.
The rap trio continue to insist that the criminal proceedings are part of a campaign to distract people from the ongoing conflict in Gaza and to discourage artists like Kneecap from criticising Israel on-stage. Mo Chara is accused of displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah at a London show last year. Public support of proscribed terrorist groups is a criminal offence.
In a social post, Kneecap thanked “everyone who came out to support us” as the “carnival of distraction rolls on”. They then added, “Kneecap is not the story. Palestine is the story. The British government are aiding a genocide, do not stop calling them out”.
In court, the group’s lawyers focused on a legal technicality in a bid to get the case thrown out. Barrister Brenda Campbell said that – while London’s Metropolitan Police told Mo Chara that he would face a terror charge on 21 May this year – the Attorney General did not grant permission for a criminal case to be brought against the musician until the following day.
That’s important because the gig where the Kneecap member allegedly displayed the Hezbollah flag took place on 21 Nov and there is a six month window in which criminal charges should have been instigated. The Attorney General’s approval of the criminal case, therefore, came a day too late.
The prosecution counters that, while the Attorney General’s approval was needed for this case, it wasn’t technically required until the defendant’s first court appearance, and criminal charges could be brought without his approval. Therefore no deadlines were missed.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring said he would rule on whether or not the case against Mo Chara can proceed on 26 Sep. Which presumably is the next date in the diary for Kneecap fans to gather again in central London to express solidarity for the rapper.
Ahead of yesterday’s court session, police announced they had imposed Public Order Act conditions around the court to “prevent serious disruption”, requiring that any protest in support of Mo Chara take place in a fixed space outside the court building.
In another statement, the band said those moves by the Met Police were “designed to try and portray support for Kneecap as somehow troublesome”.
“There is no basis for this”, they added, “our last hearing was entirely peaceful and a loving show of solidarity with the most disruptive attendees the right wing media”. However, they nevertheless urged fans to comply with the police’s instructions “irrespective of how pitiful” they may be.
One man was reportedly arrested outside the court hearing, although that was seemingly over allegations he was publicly supporting Palestine Action, the UK-based pro-Palestine campaign group that was recently and controversially added to the official list of proscribed terrorist organisations. Which means, as with Hezbollah, expressing public support for the group is a criminal offence.
