Kneecap have been barred from getting into Canada forward of a scheduled tour within the nation set to get underway in October.
Vince Gasparro, Eglinton-Lawrence MP and parliamentary secretary for combating crime, mentioned the Irish rap group “amplified political violence and publicly displayed assist for organizations designated as terrorist teams in Canada, akin to Hezbollah and Hamas.”
“These will not be expressions of artwork or reputable political critique, they’re harmful endorsements of violence and hate,” Gasparro added.
In a subsequent assertion, Kneecap promised to pursue authorized motion towards Gasparro for his “wholly unfaithful and deeply malicious” feedback. The group additionally claimed that a number of “Zionist foyer teams” participated in an affect marketing campaign that preceded at present’s announcement.
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Kneecap member Mo Chara is at the moment going through a terror offense cost within the UK stemming from a November 2024 live performance through which he allegedly flew a flag in assist of Hezbollah. The group has denied ever supporting Hamas or Hezbollah, and mentioned footage of the alleged live performance in query has been “intentionally taken out of all context” and is “being exploited and weaponised, as if it had been a name to motion.”
Kneecap had been additionally briefly investigated by UK authorities following their efficiency Glastonbury over the summer season, the place they led chants of “Fuck [UK Prime Minister] Keir Starmer” and “Free, free Palestine.” The investigation was in the end dropped, with officers citing “inadequate proof to offer a sensible prospect of conviction for any offense.”
Because of the scheduling issues tied to Chara’s court docket proceedings, Kneecap had been compelled to cancel their US tour scheduled in October. The band subsequently introduced a particular one-off livestream live performance for followers within the US going down on October tenth.