Kneecap have been barred from entering Canada ahead of a scheduled tour in the country set to get underway in October.
Vince Gasparro, Eglinton-Lawrence MP and parliamentary secretary for combating crime, said the Irish rap group “amplified political violence and publicly displayed support for organizations designated as terrorist groups in Canada, such as Hezbollah and Hamas.”
“These are not expressions of art or legitimate political critique, they are dangerous endorsements of violence and hate,” Gasparro added.
In a subsequent statement, Kneecap promised to pursue legal action against Gasparro for his “wholly untrue and deeply malicious” comments. The group also claimed that several “Zionist lobby groups” participated in an influence campaign that preceded today’s announcement.
Related Video
Kneecap member Mo Chara is currently facing a terror offense charge in the UK stemming from a November 2024 concert in which he allegedly flew a flag in support of Hezbollah. The group has denied ever supporting Hamas or Hezbollah, and said footage of the alleged concert in question has been “deliberately taken out of all context” and is “being exploited and weaponised, as if it were a call to action.”
Kneecap were also briefly investigated by UK authorities following their performance Glastonbury over the summer, where they led chants of “Fuck [UK Prime Minister] Keir Starmer” and “Free, free Palestine.” The investigation was ultimately dropped, with officials citing “insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offense.”
Due to the scheduling concerns tied to Chara’s court proceedings, Kneecap were forced to cancel their US tour scheduled in October. The band subsequently announced a special one-off livestream concert for fans in the US taking place on October 10th.
