The Irish rap trio Kneecap, renowned for their provocative lyrics and outspoken pro-Palestinian stance, has found itself at the center of an international controversy after the Canadian government banned them from entering the country. The ban, announced on September 19, 2025, by Canada’s parliamentary secretary for combating crime, Vince Gasparro, cited allegations that the group had glorified terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas, and engaged in actions contrary to Canadian values and laws.
In a video statement released on social media, Gasparro asserted, “Recently, the rap group Kneecap has engaged in actions and have made statements that are contrary to Canadian values and laws that have caused deep alarm to our government. The group have amplified political violence and publicly displayed support for terrorist organisations such as Hezbollah and Hamas. These are not expressions of art or legitimate political critique, they are dangerous endorsements of violence and hate. Notably, one member of the band is currently facing terrorism-related charges in the United Kingdom.” He went on to clarify that while criticism of foreign governments is protected under Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, “advocating for political violence, glorifying terrorist organisations and displaying hate symbols that directly target the Jewish community are not protected forms of expression and will not be tolerated by our government.”
The ban upended Kneecap’s plans for an October tour in Canada, which was to include two shows in Toronto and two in Vancouver. The group, consisting of Naoise Ó Cairealláin, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh, responded swiftly and forcefully to the allegations. In a statement posted on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), they described Gasparro’s comments as “wholly untrue and deeply malicious,” and announced their intention to pursue legal action against the Canadian government. “No member of Kneecap has been convicted of ANY crime in ANY country EVER,” the group declared, emphasizing their clean legal record and denouncing the accusations as an attempt to silence their opposition to what they describe as “a genocide being committed by Israel.”
Kneecap’s statement continued, “We have today instructed our lawyers to initiate legal action against you. We will be relentless in defending ourselves against baseless accusations to silence our opposition to a genocide being committed by Israel. When we beat you in court, which we will, we will donate every cent to assist some of the thousands of child amputees in Gaza.” The band also revealed that Canadian immigration authorities had requested additional information from them, which they provided on September 18, 2025. “It is our view that when they realised there was no legal basis on which to stop us that they today, via Vince Gasparro, sought to maliciously misrepresent Kneecap,” they wrote, adding, “We have played in Canada many times with zero issues and a message of solidarity and love. We are sorry we cannot be with you next month but we will not be silenced and will always oppose genocide.”
This latest dispute follows a string of controversies surrounding the band in 2025. In April, footage surfaced of a band member allegedly saying “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah” at a gig. In June, their Glastonbury festival set came under police investigation, though authorities ultimately took “no further action.” The most serious legal challenge currently facing the group is a terrorism-related charge against member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who is accused of displaying a Hezbollah flag at a London show. He is due to return to Westminster magistrates court on September 26, 2025, where his legal team is seeking to have the case dismissed on a technicality.
The ban comes on the heels of Kneecap’s headline performance at London’s OVO Wembley Arena on September 18, 2025—a show that underlined both their rapid ascent and their unwavering commitment to the Palestinian cause. The event was marked by powerful imagery: a 12-foot Palestinian flag, activists distributing pamphlets, and a crowd of 12,000 adorned with keffiyehs and waving FC Palestina shirts. The band’s set intertwined Irish and Palestinian nationalism, with merchandise calling for freedom for both Palestine and the Irish “six counties.”
Before Kneecap took the stage, iconic trip-hop group Massive Attack delivered a surprise audio-visual presentation recounting the history of cultural resistance to oppressive regimes, urging fans to boycott music platforms and products linked to Israel. This was part of the broader “No Music For Genocide” campaign, which was formally announced on September 18–19, 2025. Kneecap and Massive Attack jointly requested their record label, Heavenly Recordings, to remove all Kneecap tracks from streaming services in Israel. “As part of ‘No Music For Genocide’, we have formally requested our record label, Heavenly Recordings, to remove all Kneecap tracks from DSP streaming services in Israel,” the band stated. “Free Palestine. #NoMusicForGenocide.”
The campaign aims to make “Made in Israel” as toxic a brand as apartheid South Africa was before 1994, drawing explicit parallels to the global cultural boycott of South Africa during the anti-apartheid movement. “This initiative is borderless and open to all artists and labels who want to boycott. We hope it sparks further efforts against the music industry’s complicity,” the collective explained in a statement.
The Wembley Arena event was also a platform for political protest. The video screens displayed harrowing details of the ongoing Gaza war, highlighting the plight of 2.3 million civilians trapped under siege. Messages accused Israel of genocide and condemned the British government’s complicity, prompting boos and chants of “f*** Keir Starmer” from the audience. The band’s criticism extended to Donald Trump, who was in London for a state visit at the time, and UK Labour leader Keir Starmer, who had recently hosted Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Massive Attack’s Robert “3D” Del Naja reminded the crowd, “During the 1980s it was artists who filled the moral void left by complicit politicians, leading boycotts of South Africa’s apartheid regime—and that the same is happening again today.”
Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, took the stage to urge fans to join the planned October 11, 2025 protest in London against the Gaza genocide and to support the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement. He closed with the words of Bobby Sands: “Our revenge will be the laughter of our children,” before leading the crowd in a chant of “free, free Palestine.”
Despite the mounting legal and political challenges, Kneecap remains undeterred. The group is set to continue its tour across England and Scotland in November 2025, aiming to build further support for Palestine and expand the cultural boycott campaign. While their Canadian tour may be off the table for now, their message—and the controversy surrounding it—shows no sign of quieting down.
