Who’s Afraid of Kneecap?

On Friday, Liberal MP and recently appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State (Combatting Crime) Vince Gasparro announced that the Irish hip-hop band Kneecap had been banned from entering this country. In justifying this appalling move by the Canadian government, Gasparro suggested the band has made statements that are “contrary to Canadian values and laws and have caused deep alarm to our government.”

While Kneecap’s explosive rise to public prominence has clearly troubled the Liberal party (not to mention the pro-Israel government groups that have been lobbying the Liberals for months on the issue), Gasparro’s claim that the band glorifies terrorist organizations is an obvious smokescreen meant to divert the public’s attention from the band’s steadfast support of the Palestinian people.

Kneecap, which was slated to play Vancouver on Oct. 22 and 23, has fashioned a blistering sound mixing predominantly Irish lyrics over techno and drum and bass beats. They rap about getting high and partying and their working-class lives, and their lyrics are littered with swear words. The decision to rap in Irish is also, as the preamble to a BC Civil Liberties Association petition to revoke the ban has pointed out, part of a resurgence of Indigenous Irish language in the country. The band have been outspoken critics of colonialism, lambasting both the centuries-long British occupation of Ireland and the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands.

In Ireland the support for Palestinian freedom is a no-brainer. Violent occupation, the suppression of Irish culture and language and the starvation of its people under English colonialism are very much alive in the nation’s collective memory. What Irish people see happening in Gaza and the West Bank — the militarization, the violence, the settlements — is just a vivid replay of trauma the Irish will carry with them for generations to come.

In August Ireland’s government joined other European countries in condemning Israel’s government for “flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law” by expanding its military operations in Gaza.

Gasparro probably had no idea who Kneecap was before their Coachella show in April, when the band projected the words “Fuck Israel, Free Palestine” on the screen behind one of the biggest stages they’ve played, and led thousands in a chant of “Free, Free, Palestine!”

Soon thereafter footage emerged of a 2024 show in the United Kingdom where band member Mo Chara (Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh’s stage name) appears to chant “Up Hamas! Up Hezbollah!” and wave a Hezbollah flag. Footage also surfaced from a 2023 concert in which a member of the band chants, “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP!”

The band has since issued an apology to the families of murdered MPs in the United Kingdom, condemned all attacks by military organizations on civilians and clearly stated that they do not and never have supported Hezbollah or Hamas.

Chara was charged in the United Kingdom under the Terrorism Act and the case is still active. Gasparro cited the terrorism charge as part of the reason for preventing the group from entering Canada and said the ban was necessary to protect Jewish Canadians.

But Kneecap’s deplorable yet retracted comments (a handful of seconds gleaned from hundreds of hours of performances since the band’s formation in 2017) aren’t the real reason Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government has cancelled their Canadian appearances. As the band has repeatedly stated since the show trial of Chara began, this isn’t about Kneecap at all — it’s about Palestine.

Polls clearly suggest that “Canadian values” are very much oriented against Israel’s starvation and slaughter of tens of thousands of civilians. Kneecap’s surging popularity is an expression of the global community’s abhorrence of Israel’s collective punishment of the Palestinian people. That Kneecap comes from Ireland — a living, breathing example of a people who successfully (although not fully) liberated themselves of their colonial rulers and achieved independence — is simply unacceptable to the Liberals and the pro-Israel lobby groups it has caved to on this issue.

Kneecap has rejected Gasparro’s characterization of the band, calling his comments “deeply untrue” and “malicious” and warning they intend to start legal action against Gasparro.

“We will be relentless in defending ourselves against baseless accusations to silence our opposition to a genocide being committed by Israel,” the band wrote.

The move by Carney’s government is an awful mistake, but a revealing one. In one fell swoop the former governor of the Bank of England has joined the esteemed company of neo-fascists like Viktor Orbán and Donald Trump, both of whom barred Kneecap from their countries because of bogus charges of “antisemitism.” We are now no better than our bootlicking, dissent-cancelling neighbours to the south.

The move has also justifiably enraged Irish Canadians to whom the band is beloved. While the banning of Indigenous languages and cultures in this country has a long and shameful history, this could hardly have been the look Carney was hoping for.

So let’s not be distracted by the Canadian government’s empty recognition of Palestine. By its actions (not least the ongoing sale of weapons to Israel) it has shown us exactly where it stands — with Israel’s genocide and against its critics.