- A church in Montreal hosted a concert with Christian singer Sean Feucht, and was fined after the city said the concert could not take place.
- The show was scheduled after previous concerts by the musician in Canada were canceled.
- Feucht has openly criticized gender ideology, women’s rights, the LGBTQ+ community and abortion.
A church in downtown Montreal was fined after it held a concert with a U.S.-based Christian musician, described as a “MAGA superstar,” even though the city said the concert could not take place.
The Ministerios Restauración Church in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough hosted Sean Feucht for a concert on Friday evening, even though the city said it would be canceled, per CTV News.
Before the concert on Friday, the city said that the church “does not have a permit to organize a concert, and district inspectors have notified the owners that the event cannot take place.”
Due to the singer’s controversial views and status as a rising star in the MAGA movement, officials in several Canadian cities canceled his concerts ahead of his show in Montreal, according to Global News.
According to CBC News, Catherine Cadotte, a spokesperson for the Montreal mayor’s office said that the concert “goes against the values of inclusion, solidarity and respect.”
The church, which now faces a $2,500 fine, was advised by the city that the concert could not take place.
“Freedom of expression is one of our fundamental values, but hateful and discriminatory speech is not accepted in Montreal and, as in other Canadian cities, the show will not be tolerated,” Cadotte wrote, per CBC News.
Canada does not have the same view of the right to free speech as the U.S. does and censorship is more common in the country, per The Hill.
What happened at the concert?
Feucht’s show lasted two hours and included him singing and preaching in the church.
Protesters were gathered outside the church during the concert, according to Global News.
Montreal police also arrested a 38-year-old man for obstruction and said a smoke bomb was set off inside the church during the performance.
CTV News reported that after the event, the city said it would issue a statement of offense along with a fine, “since the organization violated the regulations by going ahead with the show.”
Feucht’s concert cancellations
So far, six dates for Feucht’s Canadian tour have been canceled. Earlier last week, his concerts in Quebec City, Halifax, Charlottetown and Gatineau were all canceled.
“Event organizers said the events were called off after complaints and reports of planned protests,” per CTV News.
After his concert in Quebec City was canceled, Feucht announced that he had secured a show at the Ministerios Restauración Church in Montreal.
Over the past few days, Feucht has posted frequently on X about his experience in Canada and the concerts that have been canceled.
After the fine was issued to the church, Feucht posted on X, saying, “We will fight the fine and I will take care of this church. They were so kind and bold to open their doors when no one else would.”
Who is Sean Feucht?
According to Global News, the American Christian singer is a musician, missionary and author.
He has used his platform to speak out against “gender ideology,” women’s rights, the LGBTQ+ community and abortion. His religious and political views have drawn the attention of the Trump administration.
Feucht was recently described by The Atlantic as a Christian nationalist who has risen to become a “MAGA superstar.”
“Between praising President Donald Trump as God’s chosen one and suggesting that abortion supporters are ‘demons,’ Feucht has repeatedly advocated for the fusion of church and state,” the article said.
How freedom of speech in Canada differs from the U.S.
According to an opinion piece in The Hill by Jonathan Turley, Canada views free speech differently than the U.S., treating it more like a privilege than a right.
In the past couple years, Canadian lawmakers proposed a piece of legislation known as the Online Harms Act, which covers freedom of speech online, and could allow the prosecution of someone even before they commit a crime.
The legislation states that anyone who “advocates for or promotes genocide is ‘liable to imprisonment for life,’” per The Atlantic.
It also defines lesser “hate crimes” to include online speech that is “‘likely to foment detestation or vilification’” on the basis of race, religion, gender, or other protected categories.
The law would also allow someone who fears that they might become a victim of a hate crime to go before a judge. The person they accused would face a sort of pre-crime trial. If the judge found that there was “reasonable grounds” for the fear, then the defendant would need to promise to refrain from committing hate crimes and they could also be put under surveillance or house arrest.
The proposed law would also have provisions to protect children from viewing pornography and to stop the distribution of child sexual abuse material, per The Atlantic. It would also require online platforms to police content.
The Online Harms Act was supported by former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The current Liberal Party government under Prime Minister Mark Carney is working to revise the legislation.