by Kneecap rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh, also known as Mo Chara, has issued a public statement via social media after the terror charges against him were thrown out of court.
The rapper was accused of displaying a Hezbollah flag at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town in London, in November last year. However, on September 26th, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring concluded that the “proceedings were not instituted in the correct form” and, consequently, “the charge is unlawful and null and this court has no jurisdiction to try the charge.”
“A massive thank you to my legal team. Darragh, Jude, blinne, Brenda, Gareth and to all at Phoenix law. A special thanks also to my interpreter Susan. This entire process was never about me, never about any threat to the public and never about “terrorism”, a word used by your government to discredit people you oppress.”
He continued, “It was always about Gaza. About what happens if you dare to speak up. As people from Ireland we know oppression, colonialism, famine and genocide. We have suffered and still suffer under “your empire”. Your attempts to silence us have failed, because we are right, and you are wrong. We will not be silent. We said we would fight you in your court and we would win. We have.”
He finished defiantly, “If anyone on this planet is guilty of terrorism, it is the British state. Free Palestine! Tiocfaidh ár lá.”
Elsewhere, Kneecap have vowed to take legal action against the Canadian MP Vince Gasparro, who announced that they were barred from entering the country. In response, Kneecap wrote online that they have “instructed our lawyers to initiate legal action against you. We will be relentless in defending ourselves to a genocide being committed by Israel.”
They also hit out at Donald Trump during their Wembley Arena show. The member of Kneecap told the sold-out crowd in London, “Is Donald Trump in fucking England? For fucks sake.” Then Móglaí Bap intervened to add, “Release the fucking files,” seemingly in reference to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
