O\u2019Hanna, 27, had claimed the prosecution was a politically motivated effort to silence the band\u2019s support for Palestinians.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe will not be silent,\u201d the rapper told supporters outside the court after the charges against him were thrown out. \u201cAs people from Ireland, we know oppression, colonialism, famine and genocide.\u201d<\/p>\n
Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O\u2019Neill welcomed the move, saying the charges were part of \u201ca calculated attempt to silence those who stand up and speak out against the Israeli genocide in Gaza\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cKneecap have used their platform on stages across the world to expose this genocide, and it is the responsibility of all of us to continue speaking out and standing against injustice in Palestine,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The Crown Prosecution Service said it was \u201creviewing the decision of the court carefully\u201d and pointed out that it can be appealed.<\/p>\n
London\u2019s Metropolitan Police said it was working with the prosecutors to \u201cunderstand the potential implications of this ruling for us and how that might impact on the processing of such cases in the future\u201d.<\/p>\n
Kneecap have been a centre of controversy in Britain since last year, when the previous Conservative government sought to block an arts grant for the band, citing their anti-British politics. That decision was overturned after the Labour Party won last year\u2019s parliamentary election and Prime Minister Keir Starmer took office.<\/p>\n
The group\u2019s members played themselves in the feature film Kneecap, which won an audience award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. It was shortlisted for best foreign-language film and best original song at this year\u2019s Academy Awards, though it did not make the final cut.<\/p>\n