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Kneecap have hit back after getting banned from entering Canada over allegedly ‘glorifying terrorist organisations’.
The Irish rap trio – comprised of Naoise O Caireallain, Liam Og O hAnnaidh and JJ O’Dochartaigh – rose to prominence this year for their pro-Palestine stance.
O hAnnaidh – also known by his stage name Mo Chara – appeared in court last month on an alleged terror offence after being accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed terror organisation in the UK.
The music group were planning to perform a set of shows in Canada in October including two in Toronto and two in Vancouver.
Now, in a video made by Canada’s parliamentary secretary Vince Gasparro, Kneecap has been banned from the country after ‘engaging in actions and making statements that are contrary to Canadian values and laws’ which have ’caused deep alarm to our government’.
The statement continued: ‘The group have amplified political violence and publicly displayed support for terrorist organisations such as Hezbollah and Hamas.
‘These are not expressions of art or legitimate political critique, they are dangerous endorsements of violence and hate. Notably, one member of the band is currently facing terrorism related charges in the United Kingdom.’
Gasparro said ’advocating for political violence, glorifying terrorist organisations and displaying hate symbols that directly target the Jewish community’ are not protected forms of expression and ‘will not be tolerated’.
The trio responded to Gasparro in a post on Instagram, calling the comments ‘wholly untrue and deeply malicious’.
It continued: ‘No member of Kneecap has been convicted of ANY crime in ANY country EVER.
‘Whilst you outrageously try to claim we are antisemitic the Times newspaper in England today wrote of our headline show in London last night as “emphatically anti-sectarian”.’
They then announced their plan to take legal action and ‘beat’ them in court, promising to send any money to support child amputees in Gaza.
Over the spring, there were calls for the group’s US visas to be revoked following their provocative Coachella set.
Ultimately, they were forced to cancel their tour due to a scheduled court appearance in London in August.
Most recently, they publicly showed support for the band the Mary Wallopers, who claimed their set at Victorious Festival in Portsmouth had been cut short after they unveiled a Palestine flag.
‘Speak up against genocide in England and you’re treated like a criminal. Up the Mary Wallopers. Free Palestine,’ they wrote on X at the time.
In November, Kneecap are travelling across the UK with gigs in Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield, Newcastle and Glasgow.
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