By Ryan Patrick Jones
(Reuters) -Canada has barred Irish rap trio Kneecap from entering the country ahead of concerts scheduled for next month, accusing the band of promoting hate and supporting militant groups including Hamas in Gaza, a member of Canada’s government said on Friday.
But the Belfast-based group rejected the accusations as an attempt to silence them, arguing their support for Palestinians under Israeli attack in Gaza is being wrongly portrayed as antisemitic hate.
Vince Gasparro, a member of parliament and parliamentary secretary for combatting crime, said in a video on X that Kneecap members were deemed ineligible for entry because of actions and statements that violate Canadian law.
He said the group has amplified political violence and has publicly displayed support for terrorist organizations, including Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and the Palestinian group Hamas.
“Advocating for political violence, glorifying terrorist organizations and displaying hate symbols that directly target the Jewish community are not protected forms of expression and will not be tolerated by our government,” Gasparro said.
Kneecap responded by denying Gasparro’s allegations as “wholly untrue and deeply malicious,” adding that no member of the group had ever been convicted of a crime in any country.
The group also threatened to take legal action against him.
“We will be relentless in defending ourselves against baseless accusations to silence our opposition to a genocide being conducted by Israel,” the group said in a statement posted on X.
Canada’s immigration ministry declined to comment, citing privacy reasons.
The dispute reflects growing criticism by artists and actors of Israel’s war in Gaza, which according to health officials has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians and laid much of the enclave to waste. This month, over 1,800 actors, entertainers and producers signed a pledge not to work with Israeli film institutions.
Israel says its actions in Gaza amount to self-defense after the October 2023 Hamas attack in which 1,200 people were killed and over 250 taken hostage, Israeli tallies show.
CHARGES IN BRITAIN
Kneecap, who rap about Irish identity and support the republican cause of uniting Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, with the Republic of Ireland, regularly display pro-Palestinian messages during their shows.
At the Glastonbury Festival in southwest England in June, frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh – known by the stage name Mo Chara – accused Israel of committing war crimes, charges Israel disputes.
In May, Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terrorism offence in Britain for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah during a performance in London in November 2024. He denies the offence, saying the flag was thrown on stage during its performance.
The band has said that the charge represents an attempt to prosecute artists who speak out, that its members do not support Hamas or Hezbollah, and that it condemns “all attacks on civilians, always.”
In August, Kneecap canceled its 15-date U.S. tour scheduled for October, citing the proximity of Ó hAnnaidh’s London court hearing.
Kneecap had four Canadian concerts scheduled in October, two in Toronto and two in Vancouver, according to its website.
JEWISH GROUP PRAISES BAN
In a message to its Canadian fans, Kneecap said its members had already been issued valid electronic travel authorizations, an entry requirement for visa-exempt foreigners traveling to Canada by air.
The group said it was the target of a “misinformation” campaign by pro-Israel lobby groups.
Jewish advocacy organization B’nai Brith Canada, which had advocated for the ban, praised the government and said its actions should serve as a precedent.
“Groups such as Kneecap cannot be permitted to come to our country and foment discord, incite hate and glorify violence,” B’nai Brith advocacy director Richard Robertson said in a statement.
(Reporting by Ryan Patrick Jones in Toronto; Editing by Frank McGurty and Nick Zieminski)
