Kneecap are the Real Problem for Free Speech

The inevitable drive of the omnicause (the "fatberg of activism" as Hadley Freedman has it), is to absorb all other causes into the single goal of opposition to Israel.

Welcome to The Omnicause, the fatberg of activism - The Jewish Chronicle

Gender, environment, Gaza: they’re all the same

The Jewish ChronicleHadley Freeman

On June 18th, the terrorist cos-play rap group Kneecap were in town to raise the profile of their latest escapade, helped along by the growing fatberg that is Socialists Workers Party, IRGC supporters (and other brands of Islamist extremist), wistful Irish Republicans, Palestine Solidarity Campaign activists, and a smattering of human rights lawyers and fiddle players. They claim Kneecap is having its free speech curtailed for 'speaking out on Gaza'. And if it wasn't for a small group of pro-Israel activists this fiction would become part of the omnicause–free speech tolerated only when it serves the purpose of attacking Israel.

Supporting Terrorism

But let's start with the one little bit of truth that was present on the day: the charge against Mo Chara, also known as Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who for some reason was named in court as Liam O'Hanna.

Mo is charged with supporting a terrorist organisation, namely Hezbollah; at a concert at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town a would-be Jihadi John threw a Hezbollah flag onto the stage (true), our Mo picked it up (also true), wrapped it around himself (still true), and then chanted support for Hezbollah and Hamas (allegedly).

Putting everything else aside for a moment, this already makes for an interesting case. For a start, he didn't bring the flag with him, so we might have some sympathy that he picked up something thrown at him and 'worked it into his act'. There has to be freedom for creatives such as artists, actors, comedians, and musicians to play with themes that are risky, and if our latter-day Monkees are to play the role of sticking two fingers up to the establishment whilst wearing an Irish republican tea cosy, then Mo could hardly pick up the Hezbollah flag and hand it in to lost property.

And beyond artistic freedom, we can also legitimately ask whether the terror legislation under which Mo is being tried is actually fit for purpose. The terrorism act suggests that anyone giving material support to terror groups can be prosecuted, but it would be reasonable to assume that this means raising money or encouraging membership; is carrying a flag really showing such support?

Proscription

Under the Terrorism Act 2000, the Home Secretary may proscribe an organisation if they believe it is concerned in terrorism, and it is proportionate to do.

Counter Terrorism Policing

So all in all, the charges against Mo–that he has shown support for a terrorist organisation–are important from a free speech and artistic perspective, as well as from the point of view of what exactly it means to support terrorism.

'A Threat to the Establishment'

But as almost always with the so-called progressives, from Mo to terrorist supporting CAGE, from former entertainer Paul Weller to erstwhile champion of civil liberties Gareth Peirce–all playing their part in this case–the omnicause has decided that the 'real' issue being played out in the magistrate's court is that Mo is a target for being 'brave enough to speak up for Gaza'.

Yet as we've seen in the last 20 months, if everyone is 'speaking out' against Israel it surely can't require a lot of bravery. In fact it requires nothing more than a TikTok or X account, and enough brain cells to ensure your anti-Semitism is not too overt. (Gary Lineker messed up on this score, by likening Israelis to rats–too soon, Gary, too soon. Kneecap however were perfectly fine when leading their trust fund fans in a chant of 'Fuck Israel' at Coachella. See the nuance, Gary?)

Kneecap’s Israelophobia has gone too far

Kneecap whipped the privileged attendees at Coachella into a frenzy of faux virtue by getting them to chant ‘F**k Israel’

The SpectatorBrendan O’Neill

But Kneecap being about as brave as any other artist or musician or climate activist or actor or back bench MP or foreign secretary or keyboard warrior was not going to spoil a good day out at Westminster Magistrate's Court. The Socialist Workers Party came well prepared with placards bearing the legend 'Defend Kneecap - Drop the Charges - Freedom for Palestine'.

https://socialistworker.co.uk/palestine-2023/kneecap-prosecution-british-state-bites-off-more-than-it-can-chew/

CAGE were also there to say that the legislation under which Mo was being charged should be repealed, because it doesn't allow teachers to support Hamas.

CAGE Files Application to Deproscribe Hamas Due to Systemic Suppression of Free Speech

The case challenges the legality of proscription on grounds that it violates the rights of British nationals under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Flags of the IRGC regime were waved, alongside Irish flags–because now the omnicause has also merged the now expired struggle for a united Ireland, with the IRGC-backed Islamist group Hamas's nihilistic war against the Jews of Israel.

And it was all topped off with the narcissists of Kneecap feeling they are a cross between Christy Moore and Pete Seeger.

‘Kneecap Mo Chara court appearance makes British state look panicked’

For those with eyes to see, the case surrounding Mo Chara only makes one side look unreasonable.

Express.co.ukAndy Twelves - Political Commentator

Standing Up

So did anyone stand up against this tide of radical conformity, the ever enlarging 'fatberg'? As the crowd chanted, ditties were sung and the sun shone, there were a couple of Israeli flags to join the other flag wavers–held by myself and two inspiringly courageous Jewish friends.

We were outnumbered hundreds to one, and were close to being lynched. The police tried to remove us twice and both flags were aggressively stolen–and of course both times we fought to retrieve them. By being there, and being harassed, throttled, and nearly arrested, we made it clear that their attachment to free speech was a fiction.

Stupid? Perhaps.

But if we hadn't been there to stand for free speech, then outside Westminster Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, 'free speech' would also get absorbed into the omnicause–becoming nothing more than freedom to attack Israel.