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The rap trio Kneecap have announced their performance at the Glasgow festival TRNSMT in July will not go ahead “due to concerns expressed by the police about safety at the event”.
The Northern Irish group posted on X: “To the thousands of people who bought tickets, flights and hotels to see us play, we are sorry … it is out of our hands.
“Glasgow has always been a huge city for us. We’ve played there many many times, with no issues – ever. Make of that what you will. To try to make up for it, we will be at your O2 Academy on Tuesday July 8th.”
The TRNSMT festival at Glasgow Green is taking place from 11 to 13 July.
Last week, Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged by police with a terrorism offence for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig in London.
The 27-year-old of Belfast was charged after an investigation by the Metropolitan police’s counter-terrorism command and is scheduled to appear at Westminster magistrates court on 18 June.
Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was charged with displaying a flag at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, on 21 November last year “in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation”, the Met said.
Thousands of fans went to support Kneecap at the Wide Awake festival in Brockwell Park, south London, last Friday night.
Addressing the police charge from the main stage, Ó hAnnaidh said: “I went for an interview with counter-terror police and, within days, they came to their verdict that they were going to charge me.”
He later added: “They tried to stop this gig. Honestly, you have no idea how close they came to pulling us.”
This month, the Met said Kneecap was being investigated by counter-terrorism police after videos emerged allegedly showing the band calling for the deaths of MPs and shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”.
Hamas and Hezbollah are banned in the UK and it is a crime to express support for them.
Kneecap have said they have never supported Hamas or Hezbollah and apologised last month to the families of murdered MPs but claimed footage of the incident had been taken out of context and was being “exploited and weaponised”.
Several of the band’s have been called off since the videos emerged.
After the TRNSMT performance was cancelled, the Gloucestershire festival 2000trees wrote on X: “After loads of speculation and numerous requests from the press of late, we are happy to confirm that YES! @KNEECAPCEOL are still headlining the Thursday at 2000trees this July.”
