The group have been in the headlines since one of their members, who is due to appear in court next month, was accused of allegedly supporting a proscribed terrorist organisation.Adam Cailler Senior reporter and Reddit team lead and Hannah Roberts PA Entertainment Reporter
21:36, 10 Jul 2025Updated 21:36, 10 Jul 2025
Banned(Image: PA Wire/PA Images)
Belfast-based rap group Kneecap have claimed they are “banned” from advertising one of their posters on the London Underground. The trio has been making headlines after one of their members, due to appear in court next month, was accused of allegedly supporting a banned terrorist organisation.
In a recent social media post, they stated: “We’ve been banned from advertising on the London Tube. How petty can political policing and interference get. We’ve used the tube to advertise loads of times for gigs, records and our film, all without any problems.
“The below poster has been rejected because: ‘It is likely to cause widespread or serious offence to reasonable members of the public on account of the product or service being advertised, the content or design of the advertisement, or by way of implication.”
They’ve raged over the ban on social media(Image: PA Wire/PA Images)
“Speak out against genocide and they’ll use every single angle they can to silence you.”
The contentious poster features their logo, inspired by the balaclavas worn by paramilitaries during the Troubles, and reads: “Kneecap. OVO Arena Wembley, London. Thurs 18th September ’25.” This gig will mark their first performance in London since they opened for Irish post-punk band Fontaines DC at a sold-out show in Finsbury Park on July 5.
In May, Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs as Mo Chara, was charged with a terrorism offence related to displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, during a concert in November 2024. In the lead-up to his first court appearance, London billboards displayed the message “More Black, More Dogs, More Irish, Mo Chara”, echoing the discriminatory signs that once appeared in some of the city’s boarding houses during the mid-20th century.
Upon arriving at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 18, O hAnnaidh, 27, and his bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh received cheers from hundreds of supporters. Musicians such as Nadine Shah and Gurriers have pledged to show up at court in support of the rap group when O hAnnaidh returns on August 20.
According to a TfL spokesperson, “All adverts submitted for display on our network are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Having given this very careful consideration, this advert was rejected as it was deemed that running it would likely cause widespread or serious offence to reasonable members of the public.”
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