Civil servants' lives at risk if named at Omagh Inquiry, says Government

Liam Tunney, Belfast Telegraph, May 22nd, 2025

Junior civil servants whose identities are revealed in the course of the Omagh Bombing Inquiry could be targeted by dissident republicans, the UK Government has claimed.

The argument was among deliberations linked to a government application to redact the names of officials from documents provided to the investigation.

Some 29 people, as well as two unborn baby girls, were killed when the Real IRA set off a 500lb bomb in Omagh centre on August 15, 1998.

The main thrust of the investigation into whether the atrocity could have been prevented is due to begin next month, with material due to be provided by both the UK and Irish Governments.

At a hearing in Belfast yesterday, the inquiry considered a application from the UK Government for redactions — text to be blacked out in documents — and heard submissions from the PSNI in relation to material provided. The redactions would apply to material provided to the inquiry's core participants, including the bereaved families and survivors.

Black out names - late application

The UK Government has applied for the names of junior civil servants to be blacked out, arguing their inclusion would be irrelevant and could put them at risk of attack from dissident republicans.

It was however revealed at the hearing that the UK Government missed the inquiry's deadline to make their application by more than a month and only submitted a skeleton argument at 4pm the evening before the hearing.

Paul Greaney KC, Counsel to the Inquiry, said the current position of both the Government and the PSNI was “putting a brake on the work of disclosure”.

“The legal team regards the unexpected service of a skeleton argument at such a late stage as highly unfortunate,” he added.

“It develops arguments including by reference to authorities that could, we judge, have been developed five weeks ago. There has currently been no formal explanation for why that was not done.”

Mr Greaney called on the Government's legal team to provide that explanation during their submissions.

He set out the inquiry's position that core participants may find relevance in names provided that its legal team may not.

Responding, Fiona Fee KC, counsel for the UK Government, said the serving of the document the day before the hearing meant to be a “discourtesy”.

“The note was a note of what I will say today and it was hoped to save the need to take extensive notes,” she told the inquiry.

“We felt it might have been helpful to provide a written note of what we intended to say in response to queries which had been raised the previous Wednesday.

“We are genuinely dismayed that service of the document has caused consternation. The fact our attempts have had the opposite effect to that which was intended is a matter of real and sincere regret and is taken extremely seriously.”

Ms Fee told the inquiry that revealing the identities of junior civil servants could lead to them targeted by dissidents.

Unfortunate reality

“The unfortunate reality is that dissident republican groups are actively planning and carrying out attacks, including on members of the security forces and those employed by the State,” she said.

“Identification of a junior civil servant through a document, however innocuous, could assist with targeting more readily. “By its nature, this not only increases the actual risk towards junior civil servants named in the material but also is likely to increase their subjective fears.”

The PSNI's submission raises concerns over the identities of certain suspects in connection with the bombing and centres on their right to a reasonable expectation of privacy prior to being charged with an offence.

Mr Greaney said names of suspects investigated in connection with the Omagh bomb or linked incidents who have been named publicly should not be redacted.

Arguments over Article 2 rights — the right to life — should be made on a case-by-case basis, he added.

Philip Henry KC, counsel for the PSNI, confirmed the organisation was not making a redaction application at this stage.

He said the inquiry was the sole decision-maker on whether material provided to core participants should be redacted.

“All we have sought to do through written and oral submissions is to try and set out as best we can the legal principles you ought to consider and try to assist you as much as we can,” he added.

Michael Smyth BL, on behalf of the families represented by John McBurney, said: “Regrettably this inquiry is taking place almost 27 years after the Omagh bombing,” he said.

“That passage of time has significance in terms of career progression and in some cases retirement of the junior civil servants who are now being discussed.”

Inquiry Chair Lord Turnbull will hear more legal submissions tomorrow.

PSNI and London redact ‘considerable material’ from Omagh inquiry

Freya McClements, Irish Times, May 22nd, 2025

A “considerable body of material” has not been shared with the Omagh bombing inquiry due to applications by the UK government and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to redact information from documents, a hearing has been told.

The inquiry’s lawyer Paul Greaney KC said there was a “brake” on disclosure due to submissions, and that even at the “early stage” of March this year “as many as 80 documents were having to be withheld from disclosure”. It “will not be possible to disclose to core participants a considerable body of material that contains the names of junior officials and/or suspects until the issues have been resolved”, he said.

Mr Greaney outlined his “surprise and frustration” that the inquiry’s legal team had received documents from the Northern Ireland Office at 4pm the previous afternoon and said there was a “risk” it would “undermine public confidence” in the UK government’s approach to the inquiry.

“This inquiry is about whether the Omagh bombing could have been prevented by UK state authorities, and it is also notable that this hearing ... concerns issues that could be described as ones involving transparency,” he said.

“So, it might be thought that HMG [His Majesty’s Government] would have been scrupulous to avoid the impression that it was behaving in a way that was procedurally unhelpful,” he said.

Two day hearing

The two-day hearing, before inquiry chair, Alan Turnbull, opened in Belfast yesterday to hear submissions from the UK government on redacting names of junior civil servants from material provided to the inquiry.

Submissions were also heard from the PSNI regarding the protection of the identities of suspects connected to the Omagh bombing.

The inquiry will see the documents in their unredacted form, so the hearing relates only to the provision of material to core participants to the inquiry.

This includes bereaved relatives and those injured in the bombing, all of whom have signed confidentiality agreements. It does not relate to the release of such information into the public domain, which will be considered at a later date.

A total of 31 people, including unborn twins, died and hundreds were injured when a car bomb planted by the dissident republican group the Real IRA exploded in the centre of the Co Tyrone town on August 15th, 1998.

The inquiry into the bombing began hearing evidence earlier this year, and is due to resume in June.

Appearing on behalf of the bereaved families represented by John McBurney solicitors, a barrister told yesterday’s hearing he wished to express their “dissatisfaction” at the “apparent diluted candour which they perceive in the approach which has been taken by both HMG and the secretary of state”.

He reiterated their “full confidence in the inquiry” and said he would “strongly discourage” the redaction of the names of junior civil servants “in order to fully maintain the openness and transparency of these proceedings”.

Chair is disapponted at disrespectful attitude of British Govt

Earlier, addressing Fiona Fee KC, counsel for the Northern Secretary, Mr Turnbull said he had been “disappointed to receive written notes on behalf of the secretary of state late yesterday afternoon, just as I was boarding a flight to attend these proceedings” and he was also disappointed “in respect of the level of engagement with the inquiry which it implies”.

It appeared to demonstrate, he said, “a lack of prioritisation, or allows an impression to be gained of a disrespectful or disorganised attitude towards the work of the inquiry”.

Ms Fee said this was not the case and said “absolutely no discourtesy to the inquiry or to other core participants was intended ... in fact, the intention was entirely the opposite”.

On behalf of the PSNI, Philip Henry KC told the hearing it had made a “conscious decision” not to lodge an application to redact suspects’ names, but was “flagging up these issues so that the inquiry can make an informed determination on the redaction issue”.

Police union chief: The Executive has abandoned duty to protect people

Alllison Morris, Belfast Telegraph, May 22nd, 2025

The Chair of the Police Federation has issued a stinging criticism of the Stormont Executive, saying they have abandoned “a solemn duty and responsibility to protect people”.

Liam Kelly said the PSNI Recovery Plan has been “effectively shredded” because no funding has been allocated to secure the 7,000 officers the force says it needs to police safely.

Speaking at the Federation's conference in Enniskillen, Mr Kelly said the plan put forward by Chief Constable Jon Boutcher was merely the beginning of a re-build, and “not an end in itself”.

The Federation said the PSNI lost 427 officers last year - including 199 who left due to ill health, 142 who retired and 65 who left the service voluntarily for alternative employment.

Speaking to an audience that included Justice Minister Naomi Long, Mr Kelly said: “I take no pleasure in telling you today that the Recovery Plan has been effectively shredded. It will not be happening unless there's a last-minute re-think by the Executive.”

Mr Boutcher published the recovery plan last September, which aims to lift PSNI officer numbers to 7,000 within three years at a cost of £200m.

“The Department of Finance has recently informed the Chief Constable that it cannot find the money to support the plan,” said Mr Kelly.

“To say there is disappointment would be a gross under-statement. It would be more accurate to say this Federation is appalled by this decision. It is a slap in the face to our officers.”

No funding for new recruits

He added that the decision not to fund new recruits amounted to “abandonment by an elected administration”.

“The Recovery Plan was such a vital component in steadying the ship. But let's remember, it was just the beginning of a strategy to get us on to the first few rungs of the ladder. It was not an end in itself.

“According to research conducted by Leapwise, we actually need up to 8,500 officers to reflect our rising population.

“Right now, we're at 6,224 officers, which is 2,276 shy of that, and nobody in Government seems to care or give a damn.”

The Federation chair claimed that policing “was at the back of the queue” when it came to financial allocations.

In a last-minute appeal to the Executive, Mr Kelly urged ministers to “change course and recognise the desperate need for urgent positive intervention before there is any further shocking damage done to our police service”.

“We're expected to be everywhere, do everything, avert, divert and problem solve with an operational deployable total of around 4,500 officers,” Mr Kelly said.

“Minister, it cannot be done. We are at breaking point. We need a lifeline.”

Mr Boutcher said the “financial challenges facing the PSNI remain critical”.

“As an example of how the organisation has been let down, our current legacy costs are in excess of £20m each year and perhaps surprisingly to everyone we are not funded for these costs,” he said.

“The cost of dealing with legacy comes out of our core budget that should be spent on policing Northern Ireland today. That money should be providing police officers in our Neighbourhood and Response Teams, it should be paying for detectives to investigate and solve crimes.

“If legacy was properly and separately funded, as it should be, I could recruit a further 400 officers and the PSNI could provide the policing services we all desperately want to.

“It is beyond frustrating that since policing was devolved in 2010 there has been no funding plan for the legacy costs incurred by PSNI.”

​In the last year, there were 2,810 recorded assaults on police officers, of which 881 involved injury - a 9.9% decrease from 2023/4.

“Mindless thugs think it's OK to have a go. To take a swing at someone in uniform. To break a nose, a hand, an arm. Headbutt. Punch. Kick. Spit at. Ram a police vehicle,” said Mr Kelly.

“We must see strong minimum sentences and longer terms of imprisonment for more serious attacks on our men and women.

“The suspended sentence, measly fines and strong words of condemnation aren't enough to deal with this problem. Stiffer penalties produce results.”

The Executive Office has been contacted for comment.

Morgan admits legacy body lacks public inquiry powers to examine Brown murder

Rebecca Black, Irish News, May 22nd, 2025

THE head of a legacy body has conceded it does not have the same array of powers that a public inquiry would to examine the murder of GAA official Sean Brown.

The Irish government is among those who have backed Mr Brown’s family’s long campaign for a public inquiry.

Earlier this month the Court of Appeal in Belfast affirmed a previous court ruling, compelling the UK government to hold a public inquiry.

However, Secretary of State Hilary Benn has applied for a Supreme Court appeal.

Mr Brown (61), the chairman of Wolfe Tones GAC in Bellaghy, Co Derry, was ambushed, kidnapped and murdered by loyalist paramilitaries as he locked the gates of the club in May 1997. No-one has ever been convicted of his killing.

Preliminary inquest proceedings last year heard that in excess of 25 people had been linked by intelligence to the murder, including several state agents.

It was also alleged in court that surveillance of a suspect in the murder was temporarily stopped on the evening of the killing, only to resume again the following morning.

In an interview earlier, Mr Brown’s widow Bridie (87) said she does not know why her husband was killed, and reiterated her call for a public inquiry into his death to answer the questions her family has.

“I don’t know why they chose Sean. I just do not know because he was the same with everybody,” she said during an interview on BBC’s The GAA Social podcast.

“He treated everybody alike. He walked with both sides of the community.”

She thanked the turnout of thousands in Bellaghy last Friday evening to support her family’s campaign. “It was emotional,” she said. “Never in my wildest dreams had I thought about so big a turnout.”

Last month Mr Benn said he is taking steps to ensure that the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) is capable of carrying out an independent and rigorous investigation into Mr Brown’s murder.

Claire Hanna

During an appearance at the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, ICRIR chief commissioner Sir Declan Morgan was pressed by SDLP leader Claire Hanna on the Brown case.

Sir Declan said if the case came to the ICRIR, his investigators would carry out a cold-case review, a scoping exercise and would treat the case as a criminal investigation and gather all the evidence.

“But I agree that we could not do the next step which is subsequent to that, once the terms of reference have been set, and up to that point, we’re definitely Article 2 compliant,” he told MPs at the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee.

“But the next bit is having identified what the issues are to then organise a hearing with proper representation by lawyers in relation to that, and also understanding that the sensitive information arrangements, in my view, need to be reviewed and the commission needs to be able to exercise proper challenge in relation to those.”

Speaking outside the meeting, Ms Hanna said the ICRIR in its current form “cannot fully meet the needs of the family of Sean Brown”.

“Today’s comments from Sir Declan Morgan are welcome and shine a light on where the ICRIR falls short,” she said.

“Any further delay to the resuming and restarting of inquests alongside the continued denial of a public inquiry to the Brown family is the British government delaying truth and justice.

“The SDLP is committed to the delivery of legacy structures that families can buy into. Sir Declan’s comments underline our key concerns about deficiencies relating to participation by families in proceedings and the continued existence of a veto on information by the secretary of state.”

Lough Neagh crisis sees suspension of eel fishing

Connla Young, Irish News, May 22nd, 2025

COMMERCIAL eel fishing on Lough Neagh has been suspended over concerns about the quality of the catch taken from the lake, which is in the grip of an environmental crisis.

The temporary suspension of eel fishing came into force on May 12, just a week after the traditional eel fishing seasoned opened.

It is hoped fishing can resume again on June 9.

It is understood the difficult decision to suspend fishing was taken by Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co-Operative Society over concerns about the fat content of eels from the lough.

Around 80% of the eel catch is flown to Holland daily where the majority are smoked, in a process that requires a high fat content, before being sent to markets across Europe.

The remaining 20% go to England. The eel operation is managed by the co-operative, which was set up in 1963, and is based on the banks of the River Bann at Toome, Co Antrim.

Lough Neagh has been at the centre of a devastating environmental crisis in recent years after an explosion of the potentially dangerous blue green algae.

In recent years large areas of the lough have been choked by the toxic algae and other damaging blooms.

An overload of nutrients in the lough, around 60 per cent of which are generated by the agriculture industry, is blamed for causing the algae.

Blue green algae has already been detected on the lough this year.

The presence of Zebra Mussels is also causing problems.

The invasive mussel filters the lough’s water, making it clearer and allowing sunlight to penetrate deeper.

Combined with high levels of nutrients from fertiliser eutrophication can occur resulting in a harmful algae bloom.

Chief executive officer Kathleen McBride said those involved with the cooperative are “devastated” adding that fishermen are being “hindered due to the mess that has occurred on Lough Neagh”.

The CEO added that the decision to close was “forced upon” cooperative officials.

Fishing suspended after one week

“The season had only commenced on the 5th of May, we suspended fishing on the 12th of May, so we literally had five days of fishing,” she said.

“And during those five days it was obvious that the quality of the eels that we would normally receive from our fishermen wasn’t of the quality required for the processing for our customers.

“We took the decision, not our customers.

“Our hand was not forced, but we have a reputation to uphold, we have a high-end quality product, which has to be of the highest quality.

“And if there is any chink in that, or any doubt in that, to maintain our market and to ensure that relationship exists and is healthy, we took the call and suspended fishing.”

Ms McBride said feedback to the Co-operative raised a red flag around quality.

“At the start of every season we ask for feedback, we receive feedback and the feedback this year… these eels could be better,” she said.

“Once we hear that, we then have to take the decision, and we took the decision, the fat content wasn’t there.”

The CEO said it is difficult to establish the fat content of an eel by sight.

“You will not know until you cut it and you have to have a certain amount of fat for the smoking process to be optimised,” she explained.

“If that is not there, it’s not suitable for that market.

“But that’s not to say there’s [not] other markets… but at this particular time we were supplying into a smoking market, so there had to be a decision taken and it was an executive decision, and it wasn’t taken lightly.”

Ms McBride believes the issue with the eels may be linked to the lough’s food chain.

“It’s likely that there is something missing within the food chain and there must be a missing link there and they are maybe not getting what they used to get or that wee bit of the diet is maybe missing,” she said.

“We haven’t been told what’s missing yet.

“At least if we knew what was missing, we could go and start increasing its habitat and trying to fill that gap.”

Ms McBride said the cooperative is “monitoring the situation” until June 9 and then “efforts will be resumed again to re-commence fishing”.

She added that despite the “turmoil and flux” around the lough “the fish that we are harvesting and the eels that we are harvesting are perfectly healthy to eat”.

Ms McBride revealed that the cooperative was not part of a consultation for the Lough Neagh action plan launched by Agriculture and Environment Minister Andrew Muir last year.

A delegation from the co-op is due to address the committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs today in a briefing scheduled before the decision was taken to suspend fishing earlier this month.

SDLP committee member Patsy McGlone said: “Fishing has been an important part of the local economy and culture around the shores of Lough Neagh for generations.

“It is important that the executive supports fishing, whatever ways necessary, in its future development as an industry.”

Arlene Foster and Michelle O’Neill give conflicting evidence to Civid Inquiry

Garrett Hargan, Belfast Telegraph, May 22nd, 2025

A claim by a former Stormont first minister that the funeral of senior republican Bobby Storey led to a “breakdown in compliance” with coronavirus regulations was rejected by the current first minister at the Covid Inquiry in Belfast yesterday.

Michelle O'Neill accused Baroness Arlene Foster of making “politically motivated” comments after the former DUP leader criticised the large-scale funeral in west Belfast in June 2020 at a time when there were restrictions on social gatherings.

Senior Sinn Fein ministers, including Ms O'Neill, were among the thousands who attended, and the controversy led to a crisis in local politics.

They were accused of breaching Covid guidelines but a decision was later made by the Public Prosecution Service not to prosecute anyone in connection with the funeral.

Ms O'Neill apologised for having attended the funeral at the Covid inquiry in 2024.

At the inquiry, a memo from 17 November 2020 was displayed addressed to Ms Foster and Ms O'Neill.

It was said to show that the then health minister, Robin Swann, was becoming “increasingly concerned to see no visible action or movement in the context of targeted measures, and frustration at the lack of discernible action on this front”.

Ms Foster was asked if she accepts that the NI Executive was slow to act in introducing measures designed to promote public compliance.

“I don't think that we were slow to promote compliance because day after day at press conferences we were urging the public to comply,” she said.

“As my lady is aware there was a breakdown in compliance after the attendance of senior members of Sinn Féin at a high-ranking republican funeral at the end of June which caused severe difficulties in Northern Ireland with compliance and adherence.”

Ms Foster was told it was November when Mr Swann was pushing for more work to be done on adherence and compliance and enforcement.

“We had attempted to do that through working with the Police Service of Northern Ireland,” Ms Foster said.

“But there was a difficulty which still hung over the Executive around that non-compliance piece because of what had happened with that large-scale funeral at the end of June.” Before Ms O'Neill concluded her evidence, the Chair gave Sinn Féin's vice president an opportunity to respond to Ms Foster's comments about the Storey funeral.

The First Minister said: “I think, unfortunately, I believe that Arlene Foster raised that issue again today in the inquiry because the comments are politically motivated.

“I don't believe there's any evidence to suggest that actually is the case.”

Mixed messages

During yesterday's hearing, there was also a focus on a “tense” Executive meeting held in mid-March 2020, when the Stormont parties learned a decision had been taken to stop community testing.

The inquiry heard there was lots of discussion about closing schools, whether to follow Dublin, whether to follow London, and of “people being shouted down”.

Both Ms Foster and Ms O'Neill agreed in their evidence that this was a cross-cutting issue that should've come before the Executive, but a unilateral decision was taken by the health department.

Commenting on that meeting, Ms Foster said it was “a particularly fraught time”, as the Republic of Ireland decided that they would close schools on 12 March 2020.

“We had taken a decision at the Executive the day before that schools would remain open,” Ms Foster said.

“The deputy First Minister (Michelle O'Neill) and her Sinn Féin colleagues then went to a press conference and said that schools should close, thereby giving mixed messages in terms of the direction of travel for the Executive.”

At an Executive meeting on 16 March 2020 Ms Foster made comments about “the need to stop the mixed messages”.

Mr Swann also spoke about the need to redeploy resources and that he would rather use those resources to combat Covid-19 than count the number of cases.

Ms Foster said Sinn Féin ministers, who had been paying “close attention” to World Health Organisation (WHO) advice, brought that info to the Executive.

Ms O'Neill stressed that she believed it was right to follow WHO guidance.

Inquiry Chair Baroness Heather Hallett asked if Ms O'Neill felt that others were accusing her of expressing a view based on “your political beliefs rather than genuine concern?”

In response, the First Minister said there's “more that unites us in politics in the north than divides us”.

She added: “I believe the meeting of (March) 16th led to better decisions further down the line. I never brought my politics into it.”

Kneecap member charged with terrorism offence by Met Police

Kurtis Reid, Belfast Telegraph, May 22nd, 2025

A member of west Belfast rap trio Kneecap has been charged with a terrorism offence following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police in London.

Liam Og O Hannaidh performs with the controversial Irish language group under the stage name Mo Chara.

In a statement, the Met said: “A man has been charged with a terrorism offence following an investigation by the Met's Counter Terrorism Command.

“Liam O'Hanna, 27, (DOB 16.10.97) of Belfast has been charged, via postal requisition, with displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation, namely:

“On 21 November 2024, in a public place, namely the O2 Forum, Kentish Town, London, displayed an article, namely a flag, in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation, namely Hezbollah, contrary to section 13(1)(b) and (3) of the Terrorism Act 2000.

“Officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command were made aware on Tuesday, 22 April of an online video from the event. An investigation was carried out, which led to the Crown Prosecution Service authorising the above charge.

“O'Hanna is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 18 June.”

​Last month, the Metropolitan Police's anti-terror unit in London confirmed that there are “grounds for further investigation” over videos in which a band member from the group appeared to shout, “Kill your MP” from the stage and, in a separate incident, “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah”.

Both groups have been declared terrorist organisations in the UK, meaning it is illegal to voice support for them.

The band released a statement, in which they denied support for the groups, writing on social media: “They want you to believe words are more harmful than genocide.

“Let us be unequivocal: we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah. We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never okay. We know this more than anyone, given our nation's history.”

The group also said that the footage of them was “deliberately taken out of context” with the express purpose of silencing them.

In their statement, they added that unnamed “establishment figures” had “combed through hundreds of hours of footage and interviews” with the goal of “manufactur[ing] moral hysteria”.

They also apologised to the families of Jo Cox and David Amess, two MPs who were killed.

In their statement, Kneecap said: “To the Amess and Cox families, we send our heartfelt apologies. We never intended to cause you hurt.

“Kneecap's message has always been — and remains — one of love, inclusion, and hope. This is why our music resonates across generations, countries, classes and cultures and has brought hundreds of thousands of people to our gigs. No smear campaign will change that.”

On Monday, the group teased a new song, titled 'The Recap', set to be released later this week.

They are also set to appear on RTÉ's Uncharted with Ray Goggins tonight.

TUV deputy leader Court Councillor Ron McDowell said he welcomed the charges against O Hannaidh.

He said: “For too long, the powers that be have turned a blind eye to this group's open glorification of terrorism. This charge is long overdue.”

Kneecap's management has been contacted for comment on the band member's charge.

KNEECAP: 'We will fight you in court. We will win.'

Anthony Neeson, Belfast Media, May 22nd, 2025

A TERRORISM charge against a member of Kneecap is an attempt to silence the band and restrict their ability to travel, the Belfast rappers have claimed.

Last night the band's Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terrorism offence after allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a London gig last year. The Lebanese political party and paramilitary group is banned in the UK.

In a statement issued this morning, Kneecap said that Gaza is the real story and denied the 'offence', branding the court case a "carnival of distraction". Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh is due to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 18 June.

The Kneecap statement reads: "14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British establishment is focused on us. We deny this ‘offence’ and will vehemently defend ourselves. This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction. We are not the story. Genocide is.

"As they profit from genocide, they use an ‘anti-terror law’ against us for displaying a flag thrown on stage. A charge not serious enough to even warrant their ‘crown court’, instead a court that doesn’t have a jury.

"What’s the objective? To restrict our ability to travel. To prevent us speaking to young people across the world. To silence voices of compassion. To prosecute artists who dare to speak out.

"Instead of defending innocent people, or the principles of international law they claim to uphold, the powerful in Britain have abetted slaughter and famine in Gaza, just as they did in Ireland for centuries. Then, like now, they claim justification. The IDF units they arm and fly spy plane mission for are the real terrorists, the whole world can see it.

"We stand proudly with the people. You stand complicity with the war criminals. We are on the right side of history. You are not. We will fight you in your court. We will win. Free Palestine."