Kneecap to take legal action against Canadian MP over "ban" from country
Canada's Prime Minister and border control services claimed they had "no involvement" in the supposed ban of the Irish rap trio
Kneecap are set to take legal action against a Canadian MP who claimed to have "banned" them from entering the country in connection with terror charges against member Mo Chara (real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh) this summer.
In September, MP and Parliamentary Crime Secretary Vince Gasparo announced via Twitter that, "on behalf of the Canadian government", the Irish rap trio had been "deemed ineligible to enter" the country.
"Our government will not tolerate the advocating of political violence, terrorism or anti-semitism and hate more broadly," he wrote in a statement.
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However, Canadian PM Mark Carney and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) have now said they had "no involvement" in banning Kneecap from Canada and "were not consulted" regarding Gasparo's announcement.
According to BBC News, Ó hAnnaidh's travel authorisation to enter Canada had been revoked by the Department of Citizenship and Immigration due to his "omitting to disclose complete and accurate information on his application."
Gasparo claimed in his announcement that Kneecap “made statements that are contrary to Canadian values" and had “amplified political violence and publicly displayed support for terrorist organisations such as Hezbollah and Hamas.”
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The announcement came amid a months-long court battle for Ó hAnnaidh, who was accused of displaying a Hezbollah flag at a London gig in 2023. Hezbollah is a banned terror organisation in the UK.
The case was later thrown out by Woolwich Crown Court on September 26 due to a "technical blunder" by prosecutors, who had reportedly filed charges against Ó hAnnaidh past the six month-limit required by the 2000 Terrorism Act.
In a statement shared via Instagram on Sunday (November 30), the Irish rap trio said they are "serving legal action" against Gasparo over his "outrageous and baseless accusations," accusing the MP of "lying" in his claims of acting on behalf of the Canadian government.
You can read Kneecap's full statement below.
Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter