City Fines Montreal Church After US Musician’s Event

Christian musician Sean Feucht of California preaches to the crowd during a rally at Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza outside the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Ariz., on Oct. 19, 2024. Rebecca Noble/AFP via Getty Images

The City of Montreal has fined a downtown church $2,500 after a performance by Christian U.S. musician Sean Feucht, saying the church had no permit for the performance.

Feucht describes himself on social media as a missionary, musician, and author and has spoken out against gender ideology and abortion.

City of Montreal officials said Feucht expresses hateful and discriminatory speech, and had attempted to stop the event. A spokesperson with the mayor’s office told The Epoch Times prior to the event that the church, Ministerios Restauración/Église MR, did not have a concert permit for the July 25 performance, and it had been directed not to hold the event.

The spokesperson, Catherine Cadotte, said in an email that violation notices “will be issued if the concert continues.” She also noted that the police had been “mobilized to enforce the regulations.”

Feucht said that the city wants to “fine the church for doing what the church does - WORSHIP.”

“Every Canadian should be embarrassed/concerned with this,” he wrote in a July 26 post on X. “No bigger scandal in Canada.”

The performance also drew protesters, with footage from the event showing a smoke bomb being thrown on the stage. Montreal police made one arrest amid the protests outside the church.

Feucht said that two smoke bombs were thrown at him by protesters that he identified as Antifa, saying officials did “nothing.”

“Despite cancelling, censorship, fines and Antifa attacks, a movement has begun that will not be stopped,” he said.

Feucht has already had permits cancelled at six public venues in other Canadian cities.

He was scheduled to perform at York Redoubt National Historic Site (a 1793 British fort in Nova Scotia) and sites in Charlottetown; Moncton, N.B.; Quebec City; Vaughan, Ont.; and Gatineau, Que.

Parks Canada and the municipalities cancelled the events, most citing safety concerns amid planned protests. Quebec City called Feucht “controversial” when citing its reason for the cancellation.

The locations are part of Feucht’s “Let Us Worship” movement. The tour has managed to line up alternative venues for each of the cancelled events.

The musician has performances scheduled in Ottawa for July 26, and Toronto for July 27.

Cancellations

A Quebec City spokesperson previously told The Epoch Times that the musician’s appearance had not been mentioned as part of the contract between the venue, ExpoCité, and the concert promoter. It said the contract was terminated based on the “new information.”

A City of Vaughan spokesperson said the city denied a special event permit for Feucht’s performance at Dufferin District Park on July 27 due to “health and safety” and “community standards and well-being.”

In Gatineau, a spokesperson for the National Capital Commission, a Crown corporation that oversees federal lands, said it would not issue a permit for Feucht’s show at Jacques-Cartier Park North, citing concerns over “public safety and security for and around the event.”

Parks Canada, as well as the cities of Charlottetown and Moncton, previously said they cancelled Feucht’s appearances over “safety and security” concerns.

The City of Moncton said the event was not compliant with the city’s code of conduct for public facilities.

The city added that it was committed to creating a “respectful, positive, and safe environment,” and to ensure public spaces were used in a “manner consistent with community standards.”

Feucht said in a July 24 post on X that his “Let Us Worship” Canada tour was born “as an organic response” to COVID-19 lockdown policies and that Canada had some of the most oppressive policies in the world.

He said that while the pandemic was over, “the anti-Christian bias remains.”

The musician added that if he had turned up with purple hair and a dress, claiming to be a woman, “the government wouldn’t have said a word.” He said that to publicly profess Christian beliefs “is to be labeled an extremist” and to have free worship events “classified as a public safety risk.”

The City of Charlottetown previously said members of the public had expressed concern over Feucht’s appearance. It also said it supports the LGBT community.

Feucht has previously said “the LGTBQ and trans community are radicalizing” youth, “with victimhood leading to senseless violence.” He has also called for a “national reckoning.”

The performer also held worship concerts during COVID, violating lockdown orders.

The Canadian stops are part of Feucht’s “Revive in 25” tour. He also has performances scheduled in Western Canada in August.

The Canadian Press contributed to this article.