First Nations leaders urge cancellation of rap group accused of antisemitism
Irish group Kneecap, subject to U.K. terror investigations, playing sold-out shows in Vancouver, Toronto this year
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OTTAWA — Indigenous leaders across Canada have joined calls for the cancellation of Canadian shows by an Irish rap group accused of antisemitism.
Kneecap, an Irish trio known for their radical activism, are slated to perform four sold-out Canadian shows in Toronto and Vancouver in October — concerts many want cancelled.
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“They make statements, they display the Palestinian flag in their concerts and they say, ‘Death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces),’ and glorifying those who are anti-Israel to the point where they’re taking lives,” said Eabametoong First Nation Chief Harvey Yesno in an interview with the Toronto Sun.
“We need to draw a line because, yes, we have freedom of speech, but our country of Canada has laws.”
Yesno is among nine Indigenous leaders who have signed a letter calling for the cancellation of Kneecap’s Canadian shows — pointing out the group’s allegedly overt antisemitism and support of Palestinian terror organizations not only violate Canadian law, but also treaties between Canada’s First Nations and the Crown.
“By allowing Kneecap to perform on Indigenous lands, Live Nation and the MRG Group are not only endorsing rhetoric that promotes division, hate and glorification of terror — they are violating the spirit and obligations of the Treaties of Peace and Friendship,” the letter says.
“These treaties are not confined to government institutions; they govern how we, as treaty partners, must relate to one another across all areas of society.”
The Toronto Sun’s request for a comment from LiveNation went unacknowledged and federal government officials have shown little interest in commenting on the issue.
Based in Belfast, Kneecap’s performance last month at the Glastonbury music festival in the U.K. and Coachella in April sparked furor after they accused Israel of conducting a so-called “genocide” in Gaza, while platforming anti-Israel and allegedly antisemitic statements.
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Kneecap’s Glastonbury performance, along with a set by English punk duo Bob Vylan that led to accusations of antisemitism, is now the subject of a criminal investigation by U.K. police.
Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, 27, was charged with terror offences for waving a Hezbollah flag during a London show in 2024.
Antisemitic chants like, “There is only one solution: Intifada revolution,” are common at Kneecap shows, the letter says — adding it closely parallels hatred Indigenous Peoples experienced in Canada.
“It echoes language used by the Canadian government in the 1910s and by the Nazi regime during World War II,” the letter says.
“Its callous adoption in modern settings should cause any Indigenous person, and any non-Indigenous Canadian with a shared understanding of our history, to shudder at its public repetition and celebration.”
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