Kneecap’s Mo Chara adresses pro-Hezbollah comments amid terror charge: “It’s a joke, I’m a character”
In a new interview, Kneecap‘s Mo Chara revealed that the comments that afforded him a terror charge from the Metropolitan Police were “a joke.”
Kneecap member Mo Chara appeared at the Magistrates Court on 18th June after videos from a 2024 concert show him displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, who are considered a terrorist organisation in the UK. He can also be heard shouting, “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”, and has apologised for making anti-Government comments at shows such as “kill your local MP.” Far Out attended the pro-Kneecap, pro-Palestine protest outside the court, at which Chara received unconditional bail.
Speaking to The Guardian before their highly contested Glastonbury performance on June 28th, the band have stood strong in the face of further scrutiny from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who deemed their set “not appropriate.” The trio were defiant as ever.
“It’s a joke, I’m a character,” Chara told the paper. Speaking of the Hezbollah flag he held up, he continued, “Shit is thrown on stage all the time. If I’m supposed to know every fucking thing that’s thrown on stage I’d be in Mensa, Jesus Christ.”
He continued that he had no idea this would be deemed a terror offence, stating, “I don’t know every proscribed organisation – I’ve got enough shit to worry about up there. I’m thinking about my next lyric, my next joke, the next drop of a beat.”
Turning them to the “kill your local MP,” which the band officially apologised for, Chara said, “Why should I regret it? It was a joke – we’re playing characters, it’s satirical, it’s a fucking joke. And that’s not the point. The point is, that wasn’t an issue until we said ‘Free Palestine’ at Coachella.”
After their explosive Coachella set encouraged thousands of Americans to cheer, “Free Palestine!” and saw the trio display a message that said “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” the musicians have been adamant that a “smear campaign” has been set against their name.
Continuing to stress what Fontaines DC’s Grian Chatten has deemed a “witch hunt,” Chara added: “That stuff happened 18 months ago, and nobody batted an eyelid. Everybody agreed it was a fucking joke, even people that may have been in the room that didn’t agree – it’s a laugh, we’re all having a bit of craic. The point is, and the context is, it all resurfaced because of Coachella. That’s what we should be questioning, not whether I regret things.”
Kneecap will perform at Glastonbury Festival on June 28th. They will take the West Holts stage at 4pm.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.