Bar their entry to Canada
Kneecap and Bob Vylan are under criminal investigation in the U.K. for extremist rhetoric that threatens public safety. The U.S. State Department revoked their visas, preventing their entry to the United States. Their conduct violates Canadian hate speech laws and threatens our core values.
Kneecap is scheduled to perform in Toronto and Vancouver this fall. While Bob Vylan currently has no Canadian shows planned yet, the federal government must ensure incitement and hate aren’t given a platform here in Canada.
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Canadian elected officials have acknowledged that the conduct of both artists at Glastonbury should render them inadmissible for entry to Canada.
CIJA wrote to the Ministers of Public Safety and Immigration calling on the Government to protect Canadians from this threat to public safety.
At a recent performance at the Glastonbury Festival in England, English punk duo Bob Vylan incited violence and promoted hate:
- Vocalist Pascal Robinson-Foster led the crowd in chants of “Death to the IDF” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”—rhetoric widely recognized as a call for the eradication of the State of Israel and its citizens.
- He also referred to “working for a f***ing Zionist” as an insult.
UK police have since opened a criminal investigation, and the U.S. State Department has revoked their visas.
Irish hip-hop group Kneecap—who took the stage at Glastonbury shortly after—are also under investigation:
- Group member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh (stage name: Mo Chara) has been charged with a terrorism offence in the UK after allegedly waving the Hezbollah flag at a performance in London. Hezbollah is a listed terrorist organization in both the UK and Canada.
- Their Coachella performance earlier this year prompted their U.S. visa sponsor and booking agent to cut ties with them over repeated accusations of genocide against Israel and inflammatory on-stage comments.
Canada’s immigration and public safety laws allow for individuals to be barred entry if they pose a threat or promote terrorism and hate. These performers do both.
As Jewish communities face rising antisemitism and security concerns here and around the world, the government must act decisively to ensure Canada does not become a platform for extremism or hate speech.