Christian musician Sean Feucht sings during a rally at the National Mall in Washington, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020.Jose Luis Magana/The Associated Press
The City of Montreal has fined a local church for hosting a concert by the U.S.-based Christian musician Sean Feucht.
Feucht’s controversial views and his status as a rising star in the MAGA movement have led officials to cancel his concerts in several Canadian cities in recent days.
But on Friday evening, an evangelical church in Montreal allowed Feucht to perform a hastily scheduled concert over the objections of the city administration, and is now facing a $2,500 fine.
A spokesperson for Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante said the Ministerios Restauración Church in the city’s Plateau-Mont-Royal borough did not have a permit to organize a concert, and had been informed that the event could not take place.
“This show runs counter to the values of inclusion, solidarity, and respect that are championed in Montreal. Freedom of expression is one of our fundamental values, but hateful and discriminatory speech is not acceptable in Montreal,” Philippe Massé said in a statement.
“A ticket was issued because the organization violated the regulations by going ahead with the show.”
MAGA-affiliated American musician faces wave of cancellations on eastern Canadian tour
Protesters gathered outside the church during the concert Friday evening.
Montreal police say they arrested a 38-year-old man for obstruction. They also say a smoke bomb was set off inside the church during Feucht’s performance.
Feucht reacted Saturday on social media to the events in Montreal, claiming that two smoke bombs were thrown at his head during the concert.
“Now you want (to) fine the church for doing what the church does – WORSHIP,” he said on X. “Every Canadian should be embarrassed/concerned with this. No bigger scandal in Canada.”
The church did not respond to requests for comment from The Canadian Press. Feucht was scheduled to perform east of Ottawa in Alfred, Ont. on Saturday afternoon, before moving on to the Toronto area on Sunday.
The Christian singer describes himself as a musician, missionary, author and activist. He has spoken out against “gender ideology,” abortion and the LGBTQ+ community, and his religious and political views have grabbed the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.
The Atlantic magazine, based in Washington, D.C., recently described Feucht as a Christian nationalist who has 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 says.
Complaints from residents and planned protests have prompted officials to cancel all six of the concerts scheduled as part of the eastern Canadian leg of Feucht’s “Revive in 25” tour over the last week, forcing him to seek alternate venues.
A guide to Trumpism’s online universe, from Kick to Rumble to Truth Social
On Tuesday, Parks Canada announced it had revoked a permit for a performance scheduled at a national historic site in Halifax, citing “heightened public safety concerns.”
Concerts have since been cancelled in Charlottetown, Moncton, N.B., Quebec City, Gatineau, Que. and Vaughan, Ont.
Feucht announced his Montreal concert venue on Thursday, after his planned Friday show in Quebec City was cancelled. A second spokesperson for Plante said the show was scheduled at the “last minute without notice.”
The singer says he’s the victim of “Christian persecution,” and is accusing Canada of tyranny and censorship.
“A couple crazy activists started raising up all of this ruckus across Canada, and one by one all of our permits were cancelled out of safety concerns,” he said in a social media video posted Friday night following the Montreal performance. “Here we are in the middle of a firestorm.”
Feucht still has a series of concerts scheduled in western Canada in August.
