Canada Bans Kneecap for ‘Advocating Violence’

Photo Credit: Primavera Sound

Canadian authorities have barred the Irish rap trio Kneecap from entering the country, sparking legal threats and further controversy for the Belfast-based band. Kneecap were set to play four Canadian shows in October—those are off the table now.

Officials allege that Kneecap has “glorified terrorist organizations” and violated national laws through their public actions and statements. Vince Gasparro, Canada’s parliamentary secretary for combating crime, announced the decision to ban the group from Canada on social media. Gasparro says the band are ineligible to enter Canada because “of actions and statements that violate Canadian law.”

Further, he accused the group of “amplifying political violence and publicly displaying support for terrorist organizations including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.”

”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 the government,” Gasparro stated. Canada’s immigration ministry has not released additional details about the ban.

Kneecap has stated on social media that they will legally challenge the Canadian government’s move. “No member of Kneecap has been convicted of any crime in any country, ever,” the group’s official statement reads.

In a message to Gasparro, the band writes: “We have today instructed our lawyers to initiate legal action against you. We will be relentless in defending ourselves against baseless accusations to silence our opposition to genocide being committed by Israel. When we beat you in court, which we will, we will donate every cent to assist some of the thousands of child amputees in Gaza.”

Recent months have seen heightened scrutiny surrounding the group after their disastrous Coachella set. During the Glastonbury Festival in June, frontman Mo Chara accused Israel of war crimes. In May, he was charged in Britain with a terrorism offense for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag during a London gig in November 2024.