Hip-hop group Kneecap barred from entering Canada
The hip-hop trio Kneecap has been deemed ineligible to enter Canada, MP and Parliamentary Secretary for Combating Crime Vince Gasparro announced in a video posted to his X account on Friday.
Kneecap had been scheduled to perform in Toronto and Vancouver next month.
"The group have amplified political violence and publicly displayed support for terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas," Gasparro said in the video.
Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, a Kneecap member and co-founder who performs under the name Mo Chara, is facing terrorism charges in the U.K., after allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag on stage in London.
Last month, the group announced it was cancelling 15 shows in the U.S. Ó Hannaidh has a court hearing in London scheduled for Sept. 26, and the group said the proximity of that court hearing is what caused the cancellations.
On behalf of the Government of Canada I am announcing that on the advice of our officials, we have deemed the group Kneecap ineligible to enter our country.<br><br>Our government will not tolerate the advocating of political violence, terrorism or Anti-Semitism and hate more broadly. <a href="https://t.co/3KOf84G3bZ">pic.twitter.com/3KOf84G3bZ</a>
—@vgasparro
The group was dropped by their U.S. booking agent after a controversial performance where they displayed a "F--k Israel, Free Palestine" message on stage during Coachella in April.
cbc.ca
