Irish rap group Kneecap have been banned from entering Canada ahead of their tour of the country on the grounds of alleged \u201chate speech\u201d and \u201cglorification of terrorism.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRecently the rap group Kneecap has engaged in actions and made statements that are contrary to Canadian values and laws that have caused deep alarm to our government,\u201d Parliamentary Secretary for Combatting Crime Vince Gasparro said in a video<\/a> announcing the ban Friday morning.<\/p>\n \u201cThe group have amplified political violence and publicly displayed support for terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas,\u201d Gasparro said.<\/p>\n The lawmaker noted that one member of Kneecap is facing terrorism-related charges in the UK. He also claimed that the band displayed \u201chate symbols that directly target the Jewish community,\u201d though he did not specify what these were.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is why, as parliamentary secretary for combatting crime, I am announcing that effective immediately, the members of Kneecap have been deemed ineligible to enter Canada,\u201d Gasparro said.<\/p>\n They were due to perform<\/a> in Toronto and Vancouver starting October 14.<\/p>\n Kneecap<\/a> responded to Gasparro\u2019s allegations in a statement issued on X, calling the lawmaker\u2019s claims \u201cwholly untrue and deeply malicious\u201d and announcing that they intend to file \u201clegal action\u201d against Gasparro.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we beat you in court, which we will,\u201d the Belfast-based group said, \u201cWe will donate every cent to assist some of the thousands of child amputees in Gaza.\u201d<\/p>\n The band further claimed that \u201csignificant Zionist lobbying groups\u201d had pressured the Canadian government, including the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs<\/a> and two others.<\/p>\n CIJA\u2019s spokesperson Nicole Amiel told CNN Friday that CIJA had been \u201cvery vocal about them not being allowed to come into Canada.\u201d In a statement<\/a> Friday, the group welcomed Gasparro\u2019s announcement as the \u201cright decision.\u201d<\/p>\n CNN has also reached out to Kneecap\u2019s management and Gasparro for further comment.<\/p>\n This is only the latest controversy involving the outspoken Irish-speaking rap group, which was formed in Northern Ireland in 2017 and been praised for their efforts to revitalize the Irish language through hip hop.<\/p>\n The trio frequently speaks out against Israel\u2019s actions in Gaza, often leading crowds in chants of \u201cFree Palestine\u201d at their shows.<\/p>\n The British government has accused<\/a> one member, Liam \u00d3g \u00d3 hAnnaidh, of displaying a Hezbollah flag at a 2024 concert in violation of UK terror laws, in a case that is currently in the courts, with the next hearing on September 26.<\/p>\n \u00d3 hAnnaidh has denied wrongdoing, and Kneecap noted in their Friday statement that none of the members have been convicted of a crime.<\/p>\n The rapper\u2019s case interrupted Kneecap\u2019s tour of the US, as well. The band stated last month that due to \u00d3 hAnnaidh\u2019s hearings, they had to cancel all 15 US tour dates.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, in July, the group was banned from Hungary two weeks before they were due to perform at a festival there. Hungarian government spokesperson Zolt\u00e1n Kov\u00e1cs<\/a> claimed the band \u201cnormalizes hate and terror\u201d \u2013 an allegation they vociferously denied<\/a>, saying \u201cwe stand against all hate crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n In an email to CNN, the Canadian Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship said that \u201centry to Canada may be refused for a number of reasons, including concerns related to security, human or international rights violations, or criminal activity,\u201d but added that it could not comment on Kneecap\u2019s case specifically out of privacy concerns.<\/p>\n Howard Sapers, executive director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, told CNN that he could not recall a time when Canada had banned a musical group from entering the country, adding that he sees Kneecap\u2019s dilemma as a \u201cfundamental question of freedom of expression.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe way that this decision was made public seems overtly political,\u201d Sapers said. \u201cAnd for me, it\u2019s a real problem when a government is signaling that it\u2019s either willing to politicize what\u2019s really an administrative process or even worse, it\u2019ll use an administrative process as a lever when pulling the legal lever is just too hard. In this case, there\u2019s a much higher threshold to define hate speech than what the immigration officer needs to deny entry.\u201d<\/p>\n Gasparro said in his Friday video statement that the government\u2019s decision was fully in line with Canadian free speech laws.<\/p>\n \u201cPolitical debate and free speech are vital to our democracy,\u201d Gasparro said. \u201cBut open endorsements of terrorist groups are not free speech.\u201d<\/p>\n For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com<\/a><\/p>\n