Irish rap group Kneecap have been banned from entering Canada

By Max Saltman, CNN

(CNN) — Irish rap group Kneecap have been banned from entering Canada ahead of their tour of the country on the grounds of alleged “hate speech” and “glorification of terrorism.”

“Recently the rap group Kneecap has engaged in actions and made statements that are contrary to Canadian values and laws that have caused deep alarm to our government,” Parliamentary Secretary for Combatting Crime Vince Gasparro said in a video announcing the ban Friday morning.

“The group have amplified political violence and publicly displayed support for terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas,” Gasparro said.

The lawmaker noted that one member of Kneecap is facing terrorism-related charges in the UK. He also claimed that the band displayed “hate symbols that directly target the Jewish community,” though he did not specify what these were.

“That is why, as parliamentary secretary for combatting crime, I am announcing that effective immediately, the members of Kneecap have been deemed ineligible to enter Canada,” Gasparro said.

They were due to perform in Toronto and Vancouver starting October 14.

Kneecap responded to Gasparro’s allegations in a statement issued on X, calling the lawmaker’s claims “wholly untrue and deeply malicious” and announcing that they intend to file “legal action” against Gasparro.

“When we beat you in court, which we will,” the Belfast-based group said, “We will donate every cent to assist some of the thousands of child amputees in Gaza.”

The band further claimed that “significant Zionist lobbying groups” had pressured the Canadian government, including the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and two others.

CIJA’s spokesperson Nicole Amiel told CNN Friday that CIJA had been “very vocal about them not being allowed to come into Canada.” In a statement Friday, the group welcomed Gasparro’s announcement as the “right decision.”

CNN has also reached out to Kneecap’s management and Gasparro for further comment.

This is only the latest controversy involving the outspoken Irish-speaking rap group, which was formed in Northern Ireland in 2017 and been praised for their efforts to revitalize the Irish language through hip hop.

The trio frequently speaks out against Israel’s actions in Gaza, often leading crowds in chants of “Free Palestine” at their shows.

The British government has accused one member, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, of displaying a Hezbollah flag at a 2024 concert in violation of UK terror laws, in a case that is currently in the courts, with the next hearing on September 26.

Ó hAnnaidh has denied wrongdoing, and Kneecap noted in their Friday statement that none of the members have been convicted of a crime.

The rapper’s case interrupted Kneecap’s tour of the US, as well. The band stated last month that due to Ó hAnnaidh’s hearings, they had to cancel all 15 US tour dates.

Meanwhile, in July, the group was banned from Hungary two weeks before they were due to perform at a festival there. Hungarian government spokesperson Zoltán Kovács claimed the band “normalizes hate and terror” – an allegation they vociferously denied, saying “we stand against all hate crimes.”

In an email to CNN, the Canadian Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship said that “entry to Canada may be refused for a number of reasons, including concerns related to security, human or international rights violations, or criminal activity,” but added that it could not comment on Kneecap’s case specifically out of privacy concerns.

Howard Sapers, executive director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, told CNN that he could not recall a time when Canada had banned a musical group from entering the country, adding that he sees Kneecap’s dilemma as a “fundamental question of freedom of expression.”

“The way that this decision was made public seems overtly political,” Sapers said. “And for me, it’s a real problem when a government is signaling that it’s either willing to politicize what’s really an administrative process or even worse, it’ll use an administrative process as a lever when pulling the legal lever is just too hard. In this case, there’s a much higher threshold to define hate speech than what the immigration officer needs to deny entry.”

Gasparro said in his Friday video statement that the government’s decision was fully in line with Canadian free speech laws.

“Political debate and free speech are vital to our democracy,” Gasparro said. “But open endorsements of terrorist groups are not free speech.”

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