BBC News

Kneecap member charged with terror offence

Liam Ó hAnnaidh, 27, has been charged after allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, the Met Police says.

Seems like a very dangerous precedent to lay down.

Meh, obviously not something I condone bla bla, but where was this reaction at the time and why does it just so happen to come after they (rightfully) called Israel out for genocide at Coachella? They have outright said they condemn Hezbollah and say a lot of things to gain a reaction, Almost like some big suits got a bit panicked and started rustling through this anti-establishment group to see what they could find...

The can of worms it opens in NI is hilarious as we have to put up with towns festooned with UDA/UVF flags each summer for the 12th July as Unionist politicans use this as a stick to hit Kneecap because of the message they send out.

53 minutes ago, Steve201 said:

The can of worms it opens in NI is hilarious as we have to put up with towns festooned with UDA/UVF flags each summer for the 12th July as Unionist politicans use this as a stick to hit Kneecap because of the message they send out.

Yeah I don’t get how we proclaim to have free speech then at the same time criminalise people for stuff like this or artistic expression.

How can there be two or more sides in a messy Middle Eastern conflict and on one hand the Gov supplies weapons to one side indiscriminately carpet combing hospitals but if you have a flag of the other side you are in trouble with the law. It’s just a bit senseless and odd precedents being set when totally unnecessary

We all know who’s on the right side of history anyway!

And as I say the hypocrisy in NI alone is sickening considering people have UDA flags in their towns intimidating people (the UDA are also a terrorist organisation).

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/jun/21/kneecaps-glastonbury-performance-not-appropriate-says-keir-starmer

ahead of Glastonbury next weekend both Starmer and Badenoch have made comments against Kneecap performing

asked questions in an interview, but still

In an interview with The Sun, Sir Keir was asked if he thought the trio should perform at Glastonbury, to which he replied: "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."

less than a decade ago, the Labour leader's name was being chanted at Glasto... can pretty safely say that's not happening this year unless accompanied by a four-letter expletive

Just now, Iz 🌟 said:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/jun/21/kneecaps-glastonbury-performance-not-appropriate-says-keir-starmer

ahead of Glastonbury next weekend both Starmer and Badenoch have made comments against Kneecap performing

asked questions in an interview, but still

less than a decade ago, the Labour leader's name was being chanted at Glasto... can pretty safely say that's not happening this year unless accompanied by a four-letter expletive

Starmer was put in an awkward position though, I think he handled the question as best he could. No idea why the right wing are so obsessed about Glastonbury. You know if anything is said it will be ct straight away from the BBC feeds. Just absolute bonkers, it's a festival 😂

The British establishment has always been like this and on the wrong side of history. Look at pre 1990 sure Mandela was a terrorist then too 🙃

I'm glad Glastonbury has held strong so far, hopefully they don't keel over at the last minute. Intrigued how the BBC handle showing them, guessing it'll be confined to a heavily censored live feed.

They prob just won’t show them, or will they have to?

The BBC are currently planning to show their set. However, I suspect the live feed will be subject to a short delay.

Tbh I think the support for kneecap will be huge there and they’d be foolish not to cover it. The place they actually held up the flag I know people who work there I’m there often and I didn’t really know anything about them. Now their name is huge. The state prosecuting things like this is draconian nonsense and a waste of everybodies time. Courts and police are stacked and overloaded as it is.

I don't know much about Kneecap. My parents are vehemently against them and think even the name is offensive. Any idea where that's come from? They're normally fairly centre left.

I don't watch tv so I have no idea how they're generally covered there.

The name? It’s tongue in cheek regarding the punishments paramilitaries gave out during the troubles.

BBC probably won’t stream it live but they will cover it

According to several reports, the BBC does not want to be seen as acting as censors so will stream the performance, but delayed so as to maintain control.

This will allow edits amid management fears over what the trio might do. Kneecap displayed the words ‘F*** Israel Free Palestine’ at the Coachella festival in California in April.

The broadcaster is also arguing that not all Glastonbury performances made available on demand over the years were streamed live.

The press is in an uproar about Glastonbury, but not because of Kneecap, but because of a rapper chanting "death to the IDF". Keir Starmer has spoken out against him and the BBC is taking a LOT of heat, with "insidera" saying people are gonna get fired over it.

13 hours ago, Big Fat Sue said:

The press is in an uproar about Glastonbury, but not because of Kneecap, but because of a rapper chanting "death to the IDF". Keir Starmer has spoken out against him and the BBC is taking a LOT of heat, with "insidera" saying people are gonna get fired over it.

So far Trump admin said they’re going to try and revoke their visas for their US dates.

They’ve been dropped by their agency

And been called antisemites by the BBC and Gov and somewhat the Glasto organisers too

I mean I’m not a fan but if you can’t criticise the IDF without institutions conflating that with Jews that’s pretty sketchy territory

3 minutes ago, Liam Sota said:

So far Trump admin said they’re going to try and revoke their visas for their US dates.

They’ve been dropped by their agency

And been called antisemites by the BBC and Gov and somewhat the Glasto organisers too

I mean I’m not a fan but if you can’t criticise the IDF without institutions conflating that with Jews that’s pretty sketchy territory

True. They did chant, from the river to the sea, which meand eradication of the Jewish state, though.

Some clarity here -

Bob Vylan is the act being referred to.

Bob Vylan is a band.

Bobby Vylan is the singer. He is not a rapper

Bobby did not chant 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. He spoke it once. He did chant 'Death, Death to the IDF'.

Personally having spent many occasions seeing the band live and having met the man, I understood he means the organisation known as the IDF, should be dismantled due to its implication in multiple war crimes across decades. Not a cry to murder individual Jews.

The 'From the river...' phrase also has meaning in the desire for Israel to return occupied Palestinian lands, not the destruction of Israel.

Bobby is a smart man and whilst his turn of phrase is contentious, perhaps ill advised, he has achieved his goal of raising further conversation around Israels action in Gaza. Whether he foresaw such a strong reaction I cannot say. But I doubt he regrets it.

Edited June 30Jun 30 by Severin

You cannot incite against a foreign military force not present in the country, and said foreign military forces are committing atrocities daily.

Agreed, conflating the IDF with all Jews (as the BBC are essentially doing with describing it as antisemitic) is very worrying.

But most of all it sickens me how much column space is taken up finger-wagging at this music duo for somewhat uncouth language while Palestinians continue to be killed by those that our institutions are defending.