Kneecap ignited a political firestorm in Canada after conflicting authorities statements in regards to the Irish Hip-Hop trio’s alleged ban from getting into the nation led opposition leaders to accuse Prime Minister Mark Carney’s administration of both dishonesty or political backpedaling.

The controversy started when parliamentary secretary Vince Gasparro declared in September that Kneecap was “ineligible to enter Canada” as a consequence of their alleged assist for “political violence.”

But the group’s crew pushed again arduous, saying they by no means obtained any official ban and calling the declare “wholly untrue and deeply malicious.”

The dispute escalated when Conservative deputy chief Melissa Lantsman demanded accountability, saying, “Either the parliamentary secretary lied to his constituents and all Canadians knowingly, or the government is cowering now in the face of controversy. But either way, Canadians deserve an answer from a government that has stood on both sides of this issue.”

At the center of the uproar is a November 2024 live performance in London, the place Kneecap member Mo Chara, was accused of displaying a Hezbollah flag. Both Canada and the United Kingdom listing Hezbollah as a terrorist group.

But the legal case against Mo Chara collapsed in September when UK Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring dismissed the terrorism cost, calling it “unlawful” and “null” as a result of prosecutors didn’t file the case throughout the required timeframe.

“This entire process was never about me,” Mo Chara said outside the courthouse. “It was always about Gaza, about what happens if you dare to speak up.”

Formed in Belfast in 2017, Kneecap has constructed a popularity for politically charged lyrics and outspoken assist for Palestinian causes. The group performs primarily in Irish Gaelic and has beforehand been criticized for its stance on Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Jenny Kwan, an NDP Member of Parliament, questioned the timing of Gasparro’s announcement, which got here earlier than the UK courtroom ruling. “Canada needs to make sure that such decisions are accountable and that they’re not subject to arbitrary and political weaponization,” she instructed the National Post_._

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs had already raised issues about Kneecap’s deliberate appearances in Canada, launching an “action alert” in July to press the federal government for readability on the group’s admissibility.

Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab has declined to remark, citing privateness legal guidelines.

Her division acknowledged that people could be denied entry for causes associated to “security, human or international rights violations, or criminal activity,” however refused to deal with Kneecap’s case immediately.

The dispute has uncovered deeper divisions throughout the Liberal Party, particularly as tensions over the Israel-Hamas battle and rising antisemitism proceed to dominate political discourse.

Jewish advocacy teams have criticized the federal response to hate crimes because the October 7, 2023 assaults by Hamas.

Kneecap’s Canadian tour dates, together with exhibits in Toronto, stay listed as canceled. Still, the group insists no official ban was ever issued.

Related