Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, a member of the Irish rap group Kneecap, made his appearance at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Wednesday, facing charges under the Terrorism Act.

The 27-year-old is accused of waving the flag of the proscribed militant group Hezbollah during a performance in November 2024.

Charged with displaying an article that could arouse reasonable suspicion of support for a banned organization, Óg Ó hAnnaidh's court appearance comes amid his defense argument against the delay in bringing these charges and the potential implications on his freedom.

Kneecap, based in Belfast, has been outspoken about Palestinian issues and previously stated that the flag was thrown onto the stage, viewing this charge as an attempt to silence their voices.

The group, known for their pro-Palestinian messages and Irish identity advocacy, notably led a crowd of 30,000 at Glastonbury Festival in June in chants against Prime Minister Keir Starmer, also accusing Israel of war crimes in Gaza, allegations that Israel denies.