Irish rap group Kneecap has canceled its upcoming 15-date US tour, citing a London court hearing where one of its members, Liam O’Hanna, faces terrorism charges, Reuters reports.
The band announced the cancellation Monday, stating the court date's proximity to the start of their tour made it "impossible to proceed."
O’Hanna, who goes by the stage name Mo Chara, was charged in May under the British Terrorism Act. He is accused of displaying a flag of the Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah during a performance in London in November 2024.
The 27-year-old is charged with displaying "an article in a way that may arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a member or supporter" of a proscribed organization.
Kneecap, which performs in both Irish and English, has claimed the flag was thrown on stage during the performance. The band’s Instagram post referred to the charges as a "witch-hunt" by the British government.
Kneecap has repeatedly used its stage to denounce Israel. In April, the Irish band displayed a large anti-Israel message during its set at Coachella, a music festival held in the California desert.
A series of messages projected behind the band accused Israel of genocide in Gaza and condemned the United States for its support for Israel’s military. The messages concluded with a small phrase on top of a larger one: “F-k Israel. Free Palestine.”
Just this past weekend, the Irish rap group held a concert near Paris, where its members repeated slogans against Israel’s war on Hamas despite objections from French Jewish leaders and government officials.
Performing at the Rock en Seine music festival in Saint-Cloud, the Belfast-based trio opened their set by chanting “Free, free Palestine!” before insisting they were not “against Israel.” Members of the crowd waved keffiyehs and Irish flags, while some booed the performance. Security reportedly removed a number of individuals protesting the band’s appearance.
The band was barred from performing at Hungary’s Sziget Festival earlier this summer, after being denied entry by Hungarian authorities.