The rap trio Kneecap have once again found themselves centre stage in world media headlines for their uncompromising defence in speaking truth to the ongoing genocide of Palestinians at the hands of the murderous Israeli state, backed by their imperialist allies in the West.
Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh (Mo Chara) was charged by the Metropolitan Police for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag and shouting “up Hamas” at a London concert in November 2024. The band arrived at their Westminster Magistrates’ Court first hearing on June 18th greeted by hundreds of militant-minded supporters including members of the Revolutionary Communist International, eager to defeat the grossly hypocritical British state.
These trumped up charges of an alleged ‘terror offence’ against Mo Chara are simply another cynical attempt by the British state to crush dissent against its active support for the Israeli war machine that is wreaking havoc across the Middle-East. Some estimates report that over 100,000+ Palestinians have been murdered by Israel since October 2023, meanwhile a mass number of Palestinians are currently starving to death due to Israel’s genocidal blockade.
As Kneecap pointed out in their response statement: “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”
Kneecap further stated: “This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction. We are not the story. Genocide is.”
The incredible hypocrisy of terrorism charges for allegedly waving a terrorist flag is certainly not lost on someone from the North of Ireland. Flags for actual proscribed terrorist organisations like the UVF and the UDA are a feature of living in places like Belfast! Where are the terrorism charges for the thugs waving these flags!? Better yet, one can openly claim support for Israel and wave its flag without any legal repercussions despite its 80-year history of kidnapping, torture and indiscriminate slaughter of Palestinians!
In reality, the British establishment are fearful of the unwavering mass support for Palestine. Their attack against Kneecap has nothing to do with ‘supporting terrorism’, but everything to do with the fact that Kneecap are loudly telling the truth and are not capitulating to them!
The ruling class is now leaning increasingly towards the heavy hand of naked state repression to crush dissent. In fact, Secretary of State Yvette Cooper is pushing to classify direct action group Palestine Action as an official terrorist organisation under UK terror law, which would bring a potential 14-year prison sentence for membership!
We know who the real criminals and terrorists are – the Israeli state, the British state, the US state and all of the imperialist nations that are aiding and abetting the utmost despicable and reprehensible crime of genocide.
We say: Hands off Mo Chara! Hands off Palestine Action! The British establishment are the real terrorists! Down with Imperialism! Free Palestine!
