ADVERTISEMENTA member of the Belfast rap group Kneecap has a scheduled appearance today at Westminster Magistrates Court in London, UK, over terror charges.
How to prep for such a situation? Billboards, of course.
The trio, known for satirical lyrics and on-stage provocations, have put billboards up all over London that read “More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish, Mo Chara”, in reference to a discriminatory slogan used in the mid-twentieth century that read “No Blacks, No Irish, No Dogs”.
These discriminatory signs were commonplace in London in the 50s, plastered on homes and businesses.
Kneecap announced their version of the sign on social media, ahead of what they have referred to as a “witch-hunt”.
Indeed, Mo Chara – real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh – was charged over an alleged incident where he reportedly displayed a Hezbollah flag during a UK concert last November.
Hezbollah is listed as a proscribed terrorist organisation by the UK Government.
The group said that they “deny” the offence and will “vehemently defend ourselves”.
“This is political policing,” they wrote. “This is a carnival of distraction. We are not the story. Genocide is.”
“British courts have long charged people from the North of Ireland with “terrorism” for crimes never committed. We will fight them. We will win.”
Kneecap have repeatedly denied supporting Hamas or Hezbollah, and argued that they are facing a “co-ordinated smear campaign” after speaking out about “the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people”.
“Let us be unequivocal: we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah. We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never okay. We know this more than anyone, given our nation’s history”, they said in a statement.
“Kneecap’s message has always been – and remains – one of love, inclusion, and hope. This is why our music resonates across generations, countries, classes and cultures and has brought hundreds of thousands of people to our gigs.”
Many Kneecap fans made their way to Westminster Magistrates Court to show their support.
Several days after the terror charges were made, the band addressed them by saying during their set at Wide Awake festival that the charges were a way of silencing Kneecap and preventing them from “speaking on stage at Glastonbury the way we did at Coachella”.
Several artists have supported Kneecap, including Brian Eno, Fontaines D.C. and Pulp. They signed an open letter criticizing a “clear, concerted attempt to censor and ultimately deplatform” Kneecap and opposing “political repression of artistic freedom.”
The letter reads: “As artists, we feel the need to register our opposition to any political repression of artistic freedom.”
“In a democracy, no political figures or political parties should have the right to dictate who does and does not play at music festivals or gigs that will be enjoyed by thousands of people.”
Similarly, Love Music Hate Racism shared a statement saying that the charity organisation “stands with Kneecap”.
“Love Music Hate Racism stands with Kneecap against the attempts to silence them for speaking out for Gaza,” the statement read. “Anyone trying to silence them, or get them pulled from shows, is on the wrong side of history.
“LMHR has always attempted to use the power of music to unite people against hate and division. We stand with Kneecap against those directing hate towards the movement for Palestine. We call on all to stand with Kneecap and defend Mo Chara on June 18 outside Westminster Magistrates Court in London.”
There has been pushback from several UK politicians regarding the appearance of Kneecap at various music festivals this summer.
The band are still listed as performing at Glastonbury on Saturday 28 June. Whether or not the BBC – Glastonbury’s broadcaster – decide to televise Kneecap’s performance remains to be seen.
