KNEECAP have issued a response after Prime Minister Keir Starmer said their planned appearance at Glastonbury this weekend is “not appropriate”.
The PM claims the Irish language rap group, which is made up of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí, should not perform at the festival as one of the band members has been charged with a terror offence.
Last month the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command charged band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, whose stage name is Mo Chara, over a Palestinian flag allegedly displayed at the Belfast based band’s show at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London on November 21, 2024.
The force said that the 27-year-old displayed the flag "in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation, namely Hezbollah".
He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 18, where he was released on unconditional bail to return for a further hearing on August 20.
Irish rap group Kneecap singer, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh (L), who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, stands with band mates Naoise Ó Cairealláin, aka Moglai Bap (R) and JJ Ó Dochartaigh aka DJ Provai (C), outside Westminster Magistrates' CourtFollowing the hearing Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch claimed Kneecap’s Glastonbury set “should not be shown” on the BBC.
“One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act,” she said.
“As a publicly funded platform, the BBC should not be rewarding extremism,” she added.
The Prime Minister has also claimed that the band playing at Glastonbury is not “appropriate”.
When asked by the Sun if he thought they should play their set this weekend, he said “no, I don't, and I think we need to come down really clearly on this”.
"This is about the threats that shouldn't be made, I won't say too much because there's a court case on, but I don't think that's appropriate,” he added.
Kneecap have since responded to the prime minister’s statement in a post via their social media channels.
“You know what's 'not appropriate' Keir?! Arming a f****** genocide,” they said.
Ó hAnnaidh was cheered on by hundreds of supporters as he arrived at Westminster Magistrates' Court last week.
Bandmates Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh accompanied him to the hearing, wearing ‘Free Mo Chara’ t-shirts.
Guildford Four and Birmingham Six lawyer Gareth Pierce is leading the legal team defending Ó hAnnaidh as he fights the charge against him.
The team also includes Belfast-based Darragh Mackin of Phoenix Law, Brenda Campbell KC, Jude Bunting KC and Blinne Ni Ghralaigh KC.
Kneecap is due to play the West Holts stage at Glastonbury at 4pm this Saturday, June 28.
