The Belfast rap trio Kneecap said they will challenge a Canadian government decision barring them from entering the country, calling the move a politically motivated attempt to silence their support for Palestine.

The trio,  made up of Naoise Ó Cairealláin, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh, are known for sharp satire, outspoken lyrics, and public solidarity with Palestinians. 

Kneecap is not the story.
Genocide in Gaza is. pic.twitter.com/p4bWdyTG91

— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) June 26, 2025

On Friday, parliamentary secretary Vince Gasparro posted that Kneecap were “ineligible” to enter Canada, accusing them of “glorifying terrorist organisations” and of “amplifying political violence.” He claimed one member faces terrorism charges in the UK, warning, “These are not expressions of art or legitimate political critique, they are dangerous endorsements of violence and hate.”

The group rejected the allegations as defamatory. “Your comments about us are wholly untrue and deeply malicious. We will not accept it,” they wrote on X, stressing that none of them has ever been convicted of a crime. Kneecap cited The Times’ description of their London show as “emphatically anti-sectarian", insisting that accusations of antisemitism were baseless.

A message to Vince Gasparro and our many fans across Canada. 👇 https://t.co/66avCapPgn pic.twitter.com/ySsrgpMs6J

— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) September 19, 2025

This came as more than 400 artists and music labels, including Massive Attack, Kneecap, Primal Scream, and Rina Sawayama, have backed a campaign to remove their music from streaming platforms in the occupied Palestinian territories, citing the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

The initiative, called “No Music For Genocide,” encourages artists to geo-block or fully remove their work from access inside the Israeli occupation. Organizers say the cultural boycott is “just the beginning” of a larger movement to hold the Israeli occupation accountable for crimes against humanity. 

Wider context

The trio said they had provided immigration officials with information earlier this week and were surprised by the sudden ban. They accused authorities of using Gasparro’s post to “maliciously misrepresent” them when no legal grounds existed to block their tour. “We have played in Canada many times with zero issues and a message of solidarity and love,” they said. “We are sorry we cannot be with you next month but we will not be silenced and will always oppose genocide.”

Kneecap vowed to sue Gasparro and donate any damage compensation to support child amputees in Gaza. “We will be relentless in defending ourselves against baseless accusations to silence our opposition to a genocide being committed by Israel,” they said.

The dispute follows Kneecap’s headline set at Wembley Arena, where they displayed a message criticising Donald Trump’s state visit and Labour leader Keir Starmer’s welcome for Israeli President Isaac Herzog: “Starmer welcomed Isaac Herzog to this city like a king last week. Today Trump is here, the man who permits the slaughter.”

Today a UN Commission found:

“Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, have incited the commission of genocide.”

And he was welcomed to London like a King.

Fuck Keir Starmer. pic.twitter.com/CdVjxFLpL9

— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) September 16, 2025

It is worth noting that Ó hAnnaidh is due back in Westminster Magistrates’ Court on September 26, when Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring will decide if the UK case against him can proceed.