TORONTO: Irish rap group Kneecap was banned from entering Canada this week, with the country’s government saying the band “publicly displayed support for terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas.”
The group has faced criticism for political statements seeming to glorify militant groups and has previously been banned from Hungary.
Liberal lawmaker Vince Gasparro, parliamentary secretary for combating crime, said in a social media video: “Canada stands firmly against hate speech, incitement to violence and the glorification of terrorism. Political debate and free speech are vital to our democracy, but open endorsements of terrorist groups are not free speech.”
Kneecap has accused critics of trying to silence the band because of its support for the Palestinian cause. Its members say they do not support Hezbollah or Hamas, and nor do they condone violence.
In an Instagram post, Kneecap said Gasparro’s comments were “wholly untrue and deeply malicious.”
“We have today instructed our lawyers to initiate legal action against you,” said the band’s statement. “We will be relentless in defending ourselves against baseless accusation to silence our opposition to a genocide being committed by Israel.”
Kneecap was scheduled to perform in Toronto and Vancouver next month. The group performed at Coachella in April when members accused Israel and the US of genocide against Palestinians, prompting calls to revoke their visas and leading to several canceled shows.
