EDITORIAL: Don’t import more hateful poison

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It’s heartening that nine Indigenous leaders are supporting the cancellation of Canadian shows by a controversial rap group.

Postmedia’s Bryan Passifiume reports that nine First Nations leaders across the country say the group Kneecap, which is caught up in controversy over its performance at a recent concert in Glastonbury in the U.K., should not be allowed to perform at four sold-out concerts booked for Vancouver and Toronto in October.

One member of the Belfast-based group is facing terror-related charges in the U.K. for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag at a concert last year. Hezbollah is deemed a terrorist organization in both Britain and Canada. He’s denied the charge.

Police in Britain are investigating whether comments made by Kneecap or punk rock group Bob Vylan at Glastonbury constitute a criminal offence. Bob Vylan is alleged to have led chants calling for death to the Israeli Defence Force (IDF).

The U.S. State Department has pulled visas for a planned American tour by Bob Vylan.

Chants calling for an intifada revolution are common at Kneecap shows.

Eabametoong First Nation Chief Harvey Yesno told Passifiume that displaying Palestinian flags, calling for death to the IDF and supporting terror are unacceptable to the peaceful ethos of Indigenous treaties.

“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,” he said.

We support freedom of speech. If haters are going to hate, let’s get their poison out in the open so we know who and what we’re dealing with. That way, we’ll learn the identities of those misguided souls — who mindlessly chant along with these vile people — and what they stand for.

But freedom of speech ends when it promotes violence. Canada has hate laws and a history of refusing entry to those who target minorities with their poisonous views.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, Canadians have tolerated homegrown hatred on our streets. We don’t need to import those who have a history of making vile, antisemitic statements. If the promoters won’t cancel the concerts, the federal Immigration department should refuse Kneecap entry.