On September 26, 2025, outside Woolwich Crown Court in southeast London, cheers erupted as a highly publicized terror-related charge against Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh—known to fans as Mo Chara, one-third of the Belfast-born rap group Kneecap—was thrown out. The ruling, delivered by Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring, marked the dramatic culmination of a case that had become a lightning rod for debates about free speech, political protest, and the boundaries of anti-terrorism law in the United Kingdom.
Ó hAnnaidh, 27, had faced prosecution for waving the flag of Hezbollah, a Lebanese organization banned as a terrorist group in the UK since 2019, during a Kneecap concert in London in November 2024. The charge, brought under the Terrorism Act, made it a criminal offense to display an article in a way that could arouse reasonable suspicion of support for a proscribed organization. Yet, as Goldspring noted from the bench, the case was fatally flawed from the start: the charge was filed after the legal six-month window had closed. "The charge is unlawful and null, and this court has no jurisdiction to try the charge," Goldspring declared, to immediate applause from the public gallery, as reported by the Associated Press and Reuters.
For Ó hAnnaidh and his bandmates—Naoise Ó Cairealláin (Móglaí Bap) and J.J. Ó Dochartaigh (DJ Próvaí)—the legal victory was not just personal, but political. Outside the courthouse, Ó hAnnaidh addressed a crowd of supporters and media, stating, "It was always about Gaza, about what happens if you dare to speak up … Your attempts to silence us have failed, because we’re right and you’re wrong." He went on to connect the prosecution to a broader pattern of attempts to stifle dissent over the ongoing war in Gaza. "This entire process was never about me, never about any threat to the public, never about terrorism. It was all about Gaza, about what happens if you dare to speak up," he insisted, according to Reuters.
Kneecap, who rap in both Irish and English, have long used their platform to comment on working-class life, Irish reunification, and, increasingly, the plight of Palestinians under Israeli military action in Gaza. The group’s outspoken support for Palestine has drawn both fervent fans and fierce critics. Several countries, including Hungary and Canada, have banned Kneecap from entry, and concert organizers in Germany and Austria have canceled shows amid accusations that the band glorifies terrorism—charges the group vehemently denies. "We do not support Hezbollah or Hamas, nor do we condone violence," Kneecap has repeatedly stated in public forums, as reported by the BBC and AP.
The case against Ó hAnnaidh was rooted in a single, chaotic moment during the 2024 London gig, when a Hezbollah flag appeared on stage. Ó hAnnaidh maintained from the outset that the flag was thrown onto the stage by a member of the audience, and that he did not intend to display support for the organization. Nevertheless, UK authorities pressed charges in May 2025, several months after the concert—a delay that would ultimately prove fatal to their case.
For critics of the prosecution, the incident was emblematic of a broader crackdown on political speech, particularly when it comes to criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill was among those who welcomed the court’s decision, describing the charges as "part of a calculated attempt to silence those who stand up and speak out against the Israeli genocide in Gaza." She continued, "Kneecap have used their platform on stages across the world to expose this genocide, and it is the responsibility of all of us to continue speaking out and standing against injustice in Palestine." Her comments were echoed by many in the Irish and international music communities, who viewed the prosecution as a test case for the limits of artistic and political expression in the UK.
The backdrop to the controversy is the ongoing war in Gaza, which began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel’s military response has killed more than 65,000 people and reduced much of the enclave to rubble, according to United Nations estimates cited by Kneecap and their supporters. On September 16, 2025, a United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza and accused top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of incitement. Israel has strongly denied these allegations, maintaining that its actions are a response to terrorism and a legitimate exercise of self-defense.
The legal and political fallout from the Kneecap case is far from over. The Crown Prosecution Service announced it was "reviewing the decision of the court carefully" and did not rule out an appeal. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police said it would work with prosecutors to "understand the potential implications of this ruling for us and how that might impact on the processing of such cases in the future." For civil liberties advocates, the case has raised urgent questions about the use—and potential misuse—of anti-terror laws to target political dissent, especially around the contentious issue of the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Kneecap’s notoriety is not new. The group has been embroiled in controversy since the previous UK government sought to block an arts grant for them on the grounds of their anti-British politics, a decision that was reversed after Labour’s Keir Starmer became Prime Minister in 2024. Their rise has been meteoric in other ways, too: the band played themselves in the film "Kneecap," which won an audience award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and was shortlisted for best foreign-language film and best original song at the 2025 Academy Awards. Despite—or perhaps because of—their polarizing politics, Kneecap’s influence both within and beyond the music world has only grown.
But the controversy has come at a cost. Last month, Kneecap announced the cancellation of their 15-date U.S. tour, citing the ongoing legal battle as the reason. The group continues to face bans and cancellations across Europe and North America, even as their message resonates with audiences who see them as champions of free speech and resistance against oppression.
As the dust settles from the courtroom drama, the debate over the boundaries of protest, art, and anti-terror law in the UK shows no sign of abating. For now, Kneecap’s supporters are celebrating a rare victory, while critics and authorities ponder their next moves. The outcome has sent ripples through the worlds of music, politics, and law—reminding everyone that, sometimes, the battle over who gets to speak is as important as the words themselves.