Pro-Palestine Irish rappers to sue Canadian MP
Irish rap trio Kneecap is planning legal action against a Canadian MP after Ottawa banned them from the country due to alleged anti-Israel views, the musicians have announced.
It is the latest example of restrictions imposed by the Western governments on musicians over pro-Palestinian stances. Over the past year, a number of artists have been denied entry to various countries or faced cancellations linked to their political views.
“Our government will not tolerate the advocating of political violence, terrorism or anti-Semitism and hate more broadly,” Canadian MP Vince Gasparro said in a video posted to X on Friday, confirming that the group had been prohibited from entering.
Kneecap, which had four shows scheduled for October in Toronto and Vancouver, dismissed the allegations, saying the band’s lawyers would initiate legal action over the X post.
In a statement on Instagram, the band called Gasparro’s accusations “wholly untrue and deeply malicious,” insisting that no member of the band had “been convicted of any crime in any country ever.”
“When we beat you in court, which we will,” Kneecap wrote, “we will donate every cent to assist some of the thousands of child amputees in Gaza.”
Kneecap has previously stated that they do not support Hamas or Hezbollah. One of the group’s members, Liam Og O hAnnaidh, is currently facing a charge in the UK for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag at a rally in 2024. He denies the accusation and the case has been adjourned until September 26.
This is not the first time artists have faced institutional pressure over their pro-Palestine statements. In April, American singer Kehlani had a show at Cornell University cancelled due to her pro-Palestine views. In May, Irish post-punk group Murder Capital was dropped from venues in Germany after displaying a Palestinian flag on stage. In July, the US revoked the visas of members of English punk rap duo Bob Vylan following pro-Gaza remarks at Glastonbury Music Festival in the UK.
