Canada has officially barred the Irish rap trio Kneecap from entering the country, cancelling their planned concerts in Toronto and Vancouver in October. 

The decision came Friday when Vince Gasparro, parliamentary secretary for combating crime, accused the group of promoting political violence, glorifying terrorist organisations including Hezbollah and Hamas, and displaying hate symbols targeting the Jewish community. These actions, Gasparro stated, are in violation of Canadian law and go beyond what is acceptable under the country’s protection of free expression. 

Kneecap, however, strongly rejects the allegations. The band says they do not support Hamas or Hezbollah, and emphasized that no member has ever been convicted of any crime related to terrorism. They also pledged to take legal action against Gasparro, calling his claims “wholly untrue and deeply malicious.”  Their statement further asserted that many of their past performances in Canada proceeded without issue, and they viewed the ban as a misrepresentation. 

The context includes a court case in the UK: band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh (Mo Chara) is facing a terrorism-charge trial for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag during a concert in London in late 2024. He denies wrongdoing, saying the flag was thrown on stage without his choosing. 

Canadian immigration authorities say the move became necessary after government officials determined the group was ineligible to enter Canada under the rules relating to hate speech, terror advocacy, and symbols.