Band member faces possible prison sentence, bailed until August
Hundreds of anti-genocide activists gathered outside Westminster Magistrates Court today in support of Irish rapper Mo Chara (Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh), who faces a charge under the Starmer government’s ongoing misuse of anti-terror legislation against supporters of Palestinian freedom and human rights.
Chara has been charged with supporting a proscribed organisation, which the prosecution has claimed is unconnected to the support shown by Chara and his fellow members of rap group Kneecap for Palestinians against Israel’s genocide, and faces a possible prison sentence of 7-14 years and a large fine. The large crowd of well-wishers gathered waving Palestinian flags and singing in support of the anti-imperialist:
Chara was given unconditional bail until his next hearing on 20 August.
The prosecutor’s claim that the decision to prosecute is unconnected to his anti-genocide activism is farcical. The Starmer regime is repeatedly misusing anti-terror laws waging war on journalists and activists, many of them Jewish, who expose Israel’s genocide and other crimes in Gaza and support Palestinian human rights and self-determination. Jersey-based activist Natalie Strecker, Brighton-based Jewish writer Tony Greenstein and Hove-based academic Dylan Evans are all being prosecuted; journalist Richard Medhurst is being kept in limbo waiting to find out whether he will be charged.
Others have been detained at airports or had their homes raided, and had their electronic devices seized, under the same ‘lawfare’ abuse, while the same legislation has been used to raid the homes and families of the ‘Filton 18’ anti-genocide campaigners and to seize their devices and deny them bail for more than a year before trial, even though they are not charged under the terror laws. United Nations human rights experts have condemned the UK regime’s actions, only to receive a response of an arrogance and Orwellianism that should be shocking, but isn’t. Journalist Asa Winstanley recently won a significant legal victory when a court ruled that a lawfare police raid on his home had been unlawful.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has been exposed collaborating with the Israeli embassy in decisions to prosecute pro-Palestine journalists and campaigners.
Free Palestine, free the thousands of Palestinian civilians held hostage in Israeli torture camps and free those who are being persecuted by the Starmer police state.
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An interesting essay from Dr. Asim Qureshi who is the research director at CAGE
To speak for Palestine should not be an act of courage. It should be an act of conscience. It is time for Britain to listen — not with suspicion, but with humility
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/criminalization-of-conscience-on-palestine-and-british-cultural-mccarthyism/
The Right dark forces (?) have clearly trawled Kneecap’s history with a fine tooth comb and as well the Right Wing Clack are trying to get them banned, perhaps for standing up for the oppressed?
And perhaps as a warning to other musicians?
I have a lovely track ‘I Believe In Love’ (Big Red Freedom Train) which starts with my recording of my fellow marchers for Palestine chanting “Stop the Genocide! Free Free Palestine!” so they can get stuffed!
But perhaps also we should do some trawling of our own on history concerning Labour?
Some of us were critical of Putin over Chechnya but shortly after this Blair rushed to Moscow to congratulate Putin on becoming President & Blair’s Right Wing Labour gave him a UK state visit.
Why there’s video evidence of Blair shaking hands with Putin outside No.10 & why there’s even Cherie Blair kissing Mr P on the cheek!
And there’s film evidence too of Putin on his way to Buckingham Palace for a state banquet in a gold carriage!
And there’s reports of MPs of all parties there fighting to get in!
Given this bloke is now being sanctioned should all the above be prosecuted?
No
Yes. It was a MASSIVE error for Blair (and Bush) not being sent to the Hague. Putin and Netanyahu can always use the excuse “Well, Blair and Bush did it with no repercussions. What do we say “Well, Blair’s a good guy for doing Netanyahu’s bidding and sacrificing British lives* (and money) for Israel?”
*And thousands of Iraqis, plus unleashing ISIS who in turn murdered thousands.
That was the day when Britain could no longer claim to be the moral country for defeating Fascism.
Steve H.
Well Lumpen Right Wing Labour apologist you would say that wouldn’t you!
I loved it when the sister of a British soldier killed in Iraq, after a public inquiry, said: “There is only one terrorist in the UK and that is Tony Blair!”
Your guy should be in front of the ICJ at The Hague.
Oh and Lumpen, you ask plenty of questions so here’s one for you:
Why do Right Wing Labour MPs (your guys) always stick their hands up to vote to bomb black & brown people (Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya & Syria) in poor counties?
Remember how the Labour Party right wingers (and the MSM/Guardian/BBC) couldn’t laud Hillary Benn enough for that speech “because it embarrassed Corbyn?” Well, who is embarrassed now?
Bazza – Perhaps you should reread the question that I answered (the one you posed at 7;01pm)
Last comment, I’m in control:
Lumpen SH.
I slaughtered you and it is like squatting a fly.
You like the rest of Right Wing Labour in my opinion have the collective intellect an amoeba.
Bazza – A simple apology would have sufficed.
An explanation of why not is required before you demand anything off others, twat.
Oh…I get it…putin wasn’t a baddie back then, was he?
Will the BBC stand firm in it’s plan to broadcast Kneecap’s Glastonbury appearance? Or will it cave to last minute Lobby pressure? Deffo worth tuning in to find out! An outrage-baiting punk gesture on (more-or-less) “live” TV would be a timely, not to say entertaining, test for the corporation at this point…
Nah. What’ll happen is, they’ll show live pictures (Palestinian flags and paraphernalia on stage & in the crowd won’t be shown) and they’ll play Boccherini’s quintet for strings instead.
Bit like when they used to play someone else’s voice when gerry orrrdums was on the news years ago.