Latest news with #FreeMoChara
Sky News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Kneecap rapper tells Glastonbury he's a 'free man' after terror charge court appearance
Kneecap rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh told Glastonbury he is a "free man" as the Irish rap band played to a huge crowd. O hAnnaidh, also known as Liam O'Hanna - or by his stage name Mo Chara - was charged with a terror offence in May and appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court earlier this month. The 27-year-old is accused of displaying a flag in support of the proscribed group Hezbollah at a gig in London last November, after video footage circulated online. He was released on unconditional bail ahead of a second court appearance in August. Before their performance at Glastonbury there had been calls from some politicians for them to be cut from the line-up. But they were greeted by cheers of support, and dozens of Palestinian flags waving in the audience, as well as Irish flags and a few "Free Mo Chara" T-shirts. On stage, they said it was the biggest crowd they had ever played to. Kneecap played the West Holts stage, which has a capacity of about 30,000, and the area was closed by security about 45 minutes before their set. They started with a montage of news readers covering O hAnnaidh's charge. "Has anybody been watching the news?" bandmate Naoise O Caireallain joked. They also thanked Glastonbury organisers Michael Eavis and daughter Emily for not bowing to pressure to remove them from the bill. In reference to his bandmate's upcoming court date, O Caireallain, who performs under the name Moglai Bap, said they would "start a riot outside the courts", before clarifying: "No riots, just love and support, and support for Palestine." Earlier on Saturday, the BBC confirmed they would not be live-streaming the set but said the performance could be made available on-demand later. Before their set, rap-punk duo Bob Vylan also caused controversy, leading the crowd in chants of: "Free, free Palestine" and: "Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)." Police said afterwards that they were assessing footage of both performances to decide whether any offences may have been committed. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to the BBC Director General about Bob Vylan's performance, a government spokesperson said. Kneecap were removed from other festivals earlier this year, and before Glastonbury there were calls from some for them to be taken off the bill - including from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. The rappers have had the support of dozens of musicians including Massive Attack, Pulp, Primal Scream and Paul Weller, who signed an open letter in May saying there had been a "concerted attempt to censor and ultimately de-platform" the group. Kneecap released their first single in 2017 and built a loyal fanbase in the following years. They rose to wider prominence in 2024 following the release of their debut album and eponymous film - a fictionalised retelling of how the band came together and their fight to save the Irish language.
Belfast Telegraph
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
Kneecap's Mo Chara tells Glastonbury crowd of ‘stress' after court appearance, blasts PM and sends Palestine message to BBC editor
Kneecap led the crowd in chants of 'Free Mo Chara and f*** Keir Starmer' during their Glastonbury set, while also thanking the organisers for not bowing to pressure to cancel their performance.
Belfast Telegraph
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
Mo Chara tells Glastonbury crowd of ‘stress' after court appearance, blasts PM and makes joke for BBC editor at packed stage
Kneecap led the crowd in chants of 'Free Mo Chara and f*** Keir Starmer' during their Glastonbury set, while also thanking the organisers for not bowing to pressure to cancel their performance.
Glasgow Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Mo Chara says ‘I'm a free man' as Kneecap take to Glastonbury stage
The group, who hail from Belfast, have been in the headlines after member Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence. News broadcasts criticising the hip hop trio played from the sound system before they walked onto the stage were booed by the Glastonbury Festival audience. Kneecap member DJ Provai signals to the crowd on the West Holts Stage (Yui Mok/PA) Access to the area around the West Holts Stage was closed around 45 minutes before their performance after groups of fans arrived to form a sea of Irish and Palestinian flags. In the run up to the festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset, several politicians called for the group to be removed from the line-up and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said their performance would not be 'appropriate'. Earlier on Saturday, the BBC confirmed they would not be live-streaming the set but said the performance is likely to be made available on-demand later. No access to West HoltsPlease head to another area of the site – thank you — Glastonbury Festival (@glastonbury) June 28, 2025 A BBC spokesperson said: 'As the broadcast partner, the BBC is bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers. 'While the BBC doesn't ban artists, our plans ensure that our programming meets our editorial guidelines. 'We don't always live-stream every act from the main stages and look to make an on-demand version of Kneecap's performance available on our digital platforms, alongside more than 90 other sets.' The crowd ahead of Kneecap performing on the West Holts Stage (Yui Mok/PA) It is understood the BBC needs to consider the performance before making a final decision. The band said on Instagram: 'The propaganda wing of the regime has just contacted us…. 'They WILL put our set from Glastonbury today on the iPlayer later this evening for your viewing pleasure.' O hAnnaidh, 27, was charged with allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah, while saying 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah' at a gig in November last year. On June 18 the rapper was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates' Court in Free Mo Chara T-shirts. He was released on unconditional bail until the next hearing at the same court on August 20. Ahead of the group's performance, Gemma Gibson, 41, from Newcastle told the PA news agency that she was 'really excited' to see Kneecap perform. Asked if their set should have been cancelled amid the ongoing controversy, she said: 'Well, that would be completely against everything that Glastonbury stands for… This is where they should be.' Kaiser Chiefs performing on the Pyramid Stage (Yui Mok/PA) Also playing on Saturday afternoon were Leeds rock band Kaiser Chiefs and US star Brandi Carlile, who released an album with Sir Elton John earlier in the year. Irish singer CMAT, who played the Pyramid Stage on Friday, performed a secret set at the BBC Introducing stage on Saturday. Neil Young, best known for songs such as Rockin' In The Free World, Like A Hurricane and Cinnamon Girl, will headline the Pyramid Stage on Saturday night with his band the Chrome Hearts. The BBC will broadcast Young's set after previously saying it would not be shown 'at the artist's request'. A festivalgoer fans themself in the heat, near the West Holts stage (Yui Mok/PA) Another act expected to draw a big crowd is Brat star Charli XCX, who will headline the Other Stage around the same time Young and Grammy Award-winning rapper Doechii will also perform. Celebrities who have been spotted at the festival include singer Harry Styles, Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne, The Crown actor Emma Corrin, and Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn. Performing in the coveted Sunday legends slot this year is Sir Rod Stewart, who previously said he will be joined by his former Faces band member Ronnie Wood, as well as other guests. The BBC is providing livestreams of the five main stages: Pyramid, Other, West Holts, Woodsies and The Park.
Western Telegraph
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Western Telegraph
Mo Chara says ‘I'm a free man' as Kneecap take to Glastonbury stage
The group, who hail from Belfast, have been in the headlines after member Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence. News broadcasts criticising the hip hop trio played from the sound system before they walked onto the stage were booed by the Glastonbury Festival audience. Kneecap member DJ Provai signals to the crowd on the West Holts Stage (Yui Mok/PA) Access to the area around the West Holts Stage was closed around 45 minutes before their performance after groups of fans arrived to form a sea of Irish and Palestinian flags. In the run up to the festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset, several politicians called for the group to be removed from the line-up and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said their performance would not be 'appropriate'. Earlier on Saturday, the BBC confirmed they would not be live-streaming the set but said the performance is likely to be made available on-demand later. No access to West HoltsPlease head to another area of the site – thank you — Glastonbury Festival (@glastonbury) June 28, 2025 A BBC spokesperson said: 'As the broadcast partner, the BBC is bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers. 'While the BBC doesn't ban artists, our plans ensure that our programming meets our editorial guidelines. 'We don't always live-stream every act from the main stages and look to make an on-demand version of Kneecap's performance available on our digital platforms, alongside more than 90 other sets.' The crowd ahead of Kneecap performing on the West Holts Stage (Yui Mok/PA) It is understood the BBC needs to consider the performance before making a final decision. The band said on Instagram: 'The propaganda wing of the regime has just contacted us…. 'They WILL put our set from Glastonbury today on the iPlayer later this evening for your viewing pleasure.' O hAnnaidh, 27, was charged with allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah, while saying 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah' at a gig in November last year. On June 18 the rapper was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates' Court in Free Mo Chara T-shirts. He was released on unconditional bail until the next hearing at the same court on August 20. Ahead of the group's performance, Gemma Gibson, 41, from Newcastle told the PA news agency that she was 'really excited' to see Kneecap perform. Asked if their set should have been cancelled amid the ongoing controversy, she said: 'Well, that would be completely against everything that Glastonbury stands for… This is where they should be.' Kaiser Chiefs performing on the Pyramid Stage (Yui Mok/PA) Also playing on Saturday afternoon were Leeds rock band Kaiser Chiefs and US star Brandi Carlile, who released an album with Sir Elton John earlier in the year. Irish singer CMAT, who played the Pyramid Stage on Friday, performed a secret set at the BBC Introducing stage on Saturday. Neil Young, best known for songs such as Rockin' In The Free World, Like A Hurricane and Cinnamon Girl, will headline the Pyramid Stage on Saturday night with his band the Chrome Hearts. The BBC will broadcast Young's set after previously saying it would not be shown 'at the artist's request'. A festivalgoer fans themself in the heat, near the West Holts stage (Yui Mok/PA) Another act expected to draw a big crowd is Brat star Charli XCX, who will headline the Other Stage around the same time Young and Grammy Award-winning rapper Doechii will also perform. Celebrities who have been spotted at the festival include singer Harry Styles, Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne, The Crown actor Emma Corrin, and Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn. Performing in the coveted Sunday legends slot this year is Sir Rod Stewart, who previously said he will be joined by his former Faces band member Ronnie Wood, as well as other guests. The BBC is providing livestreams of the five main stages: Pyramid, Other, West Holts, Woodsies and The Park.
