(LifeSiteNews) — American Christian singer Sean Feucht’s 11-city tour of Canada has turned into a viral showcase for progressive totalitarianism. The moral panic provoked by Canada’s progressives has been grimly revealing to say the least — and the attempted crackdown has been gaining global attention. Do Christians have freedom of expression in public spaces? Not according to many journalists and politicians.
Feucht is an American Christian singer specializing in the sort of “praise and worship” music favored by evangelicals (it’s not my cup of tea, but that’s irrelevant). Outdoor concerts of this sort are par for the course and have been for decades. They usually take place without attention or incident.
Not this time. Feucht, who is also an author and missionary, had all six of his prescheduled concerts in eastern Canada abruptly cancelled after an undetermined number of activists began a campaign of complaints. In Halifax, his concert was cancelled due to “evolving safety and security considerations” cited by Parks Canada. His other concerts were also cancelled in swift succession in New Brunswick, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, and Ontario.
This is what is known as the “heckler’s veto”: Activists decided that Feucht’s concerts are an issue, and government officials decided to agree with them. Because Feucht is pro-life and opposes the LGBT agenda — as do many Canadian Christians — he has been dubbed a “MAGA” figure by the Canadian press as a justification for turning his concert tour into a political circus rather than what would have been a series of low-profile events characterized by voluntary attendance.
Canadian Christians should note that Feucht’s pro-life and pro-family views were explicitly cited by those who successfully petitioned to get his concerts cancelled; the CBC referred to his “anti-women’s rights” views that he had posted “on his platforms.” As Feucht noted on X: “If I had shown up with purple hair and a dress, claiming to be a woman, the government wouldn’t have said a word.” He’s clearly correct.
Organizers scrambled to find Feucht alternative venues, and an evangelical church in Montreal hosted the singer at a hastily scheduled concert on the evening of July 25. But even this private venue was targeted; protesters gathered outside the church, a smoke bomb was set off inside, police showed up, and the city of Montreal fined Ministerios Restauración Church in Plateau Mont-Royal $2,500 ostensibly for holding the concert without a permit.
A statement from Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante’s spokesperson, however, revealed the real reason for the fine. “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. The “permit” justification was a fig leaf; the church was fined because the singer held views that government authorities disliked.
Feucht’s tour is continuing and, as Chris Selley pointed out in the National Post, the Streisand Effect is turning him into a much larger figure than he would have been if he’d had been left to play his concerts in peace. Feucht played in Toronto and is planning to continue across the country. In western Canada, Feucht will likely play on the grounds of the Alberta Legislature.
Kris Wells, a bigoted LGBT activist and academic appointed to the Senate by Justin Trudeau, responded with fury: “This ‘concert’ should not be allowed to be held at any public owned facility, let alone the Alberta Legislature. Pull the permit like other cities have done. There should be no space for hate on any public property.”
To be clear: Wells believes that any expression of Christian orthodoxy on sexuality or marriage constitutes “hate.” This isn’t just about Feucht. This is about Canadian Christians being banned from expressing their views on public property, maintained with their tax dollars. This is about institutionalized bigotry, full stop — a de facto ban on Christians in public spaces.
It isn’t just Wells. Plenty of MPs from the governing Liberal Party affirmed his position. Halifax Liberal MP Shannon Miedema stated, “I have the utmost respect for the value of free speech, (but) I do not believe this event aligns with Parks Canada’s core values of respect for people, equity, diversity, and inclusion, or integrity.”
Here’s PEI MP Sean Casey: “While I fully respect the right to freedom of expression, I do not believe this event reflects the values of inclusivity and respect that define the City of Charlottetown or the Government of Canada.”
In short, Freedom of speech, but only if I approve of it. Conservative MP Garnett Genuis characterized these quotes well: “Orwellian.”
Some Conservative MPs, thankfully, have been defending the rights of Canadians — and the pushback they are receiving is similarly illustrative.
MP Michael Barrett stated, “You don’t have to agree with Sean Feucht to be concerned. When the CBC and government censor worship or suppress dissenting beliefs, they violate the freedoms of religion and expression guaranteed in Section 2 of the Charter. That’s deeply illiberal.”
MP Bob Zimmer posted a video of Feucht being interrogated by CBC journalists on whether he had a permit to play his songs in a church with a quote from the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms:
Section 2 of our Canadian Constitution: Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: (a) freedom of conscience and religion; (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication; (c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and (d) freedom of association.
Rachel Gilmore, a perpetually fired progressive journalist, responded to Zimmer quoting the Charter with breathless faux outrage: “This Conservative MP is defending a Christian Nationalist. My god.” In other words, “The Charter isn’t for these people!” Gilmore’s reaction — indeed, her complete contempt for those she disagrees with — is a good summation of how progressive Canadians view Christians who have the gall to believe that Canada’s Constitution and Charter apply to them, as well.
As Feucht himself noted on X, “I’ve led worship and preached in Africa, the Middle East and all across the world in 2025. The most intense persecution was not in Iraq or Turkey — but CANADA! Didn’t have that on my bingo card.”
I wish I was surprised.
