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The case against Kneecap member was thrown out because Mo Chara was not charged within six months of the incident of the alleged offence. Alamy Stock Photo
kneecap
Canadian MP demands official enquiry over Kneecap travel 'ban'
Questions have arisen over the validity of a ban on the Belfast group travelling to Canada after it was announced on social media last month.
Foireann Gaeltachta The Journal a chuir an scéal seo ar fáil. Tá leagan as Gaeilge anseo.
A CANADIAN MP is demanding an enquiry into the ban on Kneecap travelling to the country which was announced last month.
Jenny Kwan, the New Democratic Party’s elected representative in Vancouver, is seeking the inquiry into the announcement by Vince Gasparro, a Liberal MP and Parliamentary Secretary (Junior Minister) in the Department of Crime, that Kneecap was banned from travelling to the country.
Gasparro made allegations that Kneecap was inciting political violence and cited the case that British authorities were taking against Kneecap’s Mo Chara for possession of a Hezbollah flag while on stage at a concert in London in November 2024.
That case was dropped the following week and Kneecap has since published the allegations made by Gasparro in a video that it shared on social media and has garnered over 4m views.
The group’s management said they had not received any further communication from the Canadian government, but concerts scheduled for this month by the group have been postponed.
In her letter to the Citizenship and Immigration Committee, Kwan said there were serious concerns about the discretion shown by ministers and junior ministers in decisions about allowing performers and artists into the country.
“It is essential that Canadians and the international community are reassured that their rights are being protected so that the public can have confidence in the fairness and integrity of our immigration and cultural exchange policies,” Kwan said.
“This would also provide clarity for Canadians who purchased tickets to see the group in Toronto and Vancouver.”
The Liberal Party MP has been sent a request for a response to the letter from the Vancouver MP. He and Canadian authorities have not responded to previous requests for comment on the matter.
The Journal’s Gaeltacht initiative is supported by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
Written by Concubhar Ó Liatháin and posted on TheJournal.ie
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