The Irish rap group has been denied entry for his or her alleged help for Hamas and Hezbollah, accusations the group denies.
Revealed On 20 Sep 2025
Irish band Kneecap has slammed the Canadian authorities for banning the rap trio from getting into the nation over accusations that it was endorsing political violence and terrorism by supporting teams like Hamas and Hezbollah.
Kneecap has emerged as one of the vital controversial teams within the music enterprise, with gigs cancelled and the rappers barred from different nations over their strident pro-Palestinian stance.
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Vince Gasparro, a Liberal member of the Canadian parliament and parliamentary secretary for combating crime, on Friday stated Kneecap members had been deemed ineligible for entry due to actions and statements that violate Canadian regulation.
Kneecap has “publicly displayed help for terrorist organisations equivalent to Hezbollah and Hamas” that goes past creative expression, stated Gasparro in a video on social media.
“Canada stands firmly in opposition to hate speech, incitement to violence and the glorification of terrorism. Political debate and free speech are important to our democracy, however open endorsements of terrorist teams should not free speech,” he stated.
Canada designated each Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organisations in 2002.
In response, Kneecap stated Gasparro’s feedback are “wholly unfaithful and deeply malicious” and threatened to take authorized motion in opposition to him.
“We might be relentless in defending ourselves in opposition to baseless accusations to silence our opposition to a genocide being dedicated by Israel,” it stated in a social media submit. “There isn’t a authorized foundation for his actions, no member of Kneecap has ever been convicted of against the law in any nation.”
Kneecap was scheduled to carry out in Toronto and Vancouver subsequent month.
A message to Vince Gasparro and our many followers throughout Canada. 👇 https://t.co/66avCapPgn pic.twitter.com/ySsrgpMs6J
— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) September 19, 2025
Canada’s immigration ministry declined to touch upon the matter, citing privateness causes.
The Canada-based advocacy organisation Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs stated the federal government’s resolution was a stand in opposition to “incitement, hate and radicalisation”, whereas Jewish organisation B’nai Brith referred to as it a “victory”.
Kneecap has confronted criticism for political statements seeming to glorify Palestinian group Hamas and Lebanese group Hezbollah, with festivals like Germany’s Hurricane and Southside dropping them from their lineups this previous summer time.
In Might, group member Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who was initially charged beneath the Anglicised identify Liam O’Hanna, and who performs beneath the stage identify Mo Chara, was charged with a terrorism offence in the UK for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag throughout a efficiency in London in November 2024. He denies the offence, saying the flag was thrown on stage in the course of the group’s efficiency.
Kneecap has accused critics of making an attempt to silence the band due to its help for the Palestinian trigger all through Israel’s war in Gaza, which has killed greater than 65,000 individuals and diminished a lot of the enclave to rubble because it started in October 2023. They are saying they don’t help Hezbollah and Hamas, nor condone violence.
In July, Hungary slapped a three-year ban on the Belfast-based group, who had been as a consequence of carry out on the Sziget Pageant in Budapest in August.
Kneecap carried out in April on the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Pageant in California, the place they accused Israel – enabled by the US authorities – of committing genocide in opposition to the Palestinians. That prompted requires the rappers’ US visas to be revoked, and a number of other Kneecap gigs have since been cancelled consequently.
