Winnipeg has been added to the list of cities that have revoked a permit for U.S. Christian musician Sean Feucht, who was scheduled to perform at a public park within the city.
Feucht said on social media the City of Winnipeg is cancelling his permit for an Aug. 20 concert that was slated to be held outside in Central Park. The event was to be part of his Canada-U.S. “Let Us Worship” tour that he has described as an opportunity to preach about and worship Jesus.
“Winnipeg is now canceling our permit to worship OUTDOORS next month. This is going to backfire spectacularly,” he said in a July 29 post on X. Feucht has previously noted that the tour has managed to line up alternative venues for each of the cancelled events thus far.
City of Winnipeg spokesperson, Julie Dooley, told The Epoch Times in an email that the permit had “never been approved,” saying the city had been reviewing the “feasibility” of the application, which was submitted by Burn 247, an organization founded by Feucht.
“We determined it is not operationally feasible to allow the event at Central Park. As this is not in a ticketed event, forecasting attendance is a challenge; that in turn presents additional operational challenges,” Dooley said.
Dooley said that the park is “highly utilized” by community members during the summer, and that “an influx of the more than 2,000 people the applicant expects would detract from the service the park provides to area residents.”
Other Cancellations
Several other Canadian municipalities have cancelled permits and bookings for public venues for Feucht’s events over the past month.
Parks Canada and several municipalities have previously pulled permits for Feucht’s events at public venues, including in Charlottetown and Moncton, N.B., citing security concerns. Permits were also revoked in Quebec City and Gatineau, where officials cited the artist’s views on gender ideology as the reason for the cancellations.
Feucht describes himself on social media as a missionary, musician, and author. He is also known for his out-spoken views on abortion and gender-related issues.
The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) said it is organizing lawsuits against the municipalities that have cancelled permits. It said the authorities’ actions have violated Canadians’ constitutional freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly.
The JCCF accused the municipalities of being “willing to censor speech and suppress assembly in public spaces if they don’t like the message.”
Another Canadian non-profit, The Democracy Fund (TDF), said it is offering legal support to a downtown Montreal church after it was fined $2,500 for hosting a Feucht event.
TDF director of litigation Mark Joseph said the city’s actions against the church, Ministerios Restauración, set a “dangerous precedent” that could be used against any religion.
Joseph told The Epoch Times in an interview that people have the right to “freely express themselves” and to engage in “peaceful worship under their religious freedom” so long as those rights do not infringe on “legitimate rights of others.”
Montreal mayor’s office spokesperson Catherine Cadotte told The Epoch Times in a July 29 email the church did not apply for a permit to hold the event, which is why it was notified that “the show could not take place.”
City of Montreal officials also previously accused Feucht of using hateful and discriminatory speech, referring to his remarks on gender ideology and abortion.
Feucht has noted that he had no problems on his tour until he came to Canada. He told an audience at a July 26 concert in Alfred, Ont., that he will still continue with his tour despite the difficulties he has faced.
“This was a mandate that God gave us to go into the heart of these cities, Halifax, Moncton, Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto, to go to Ottawa … and proclaim the name of Jesus,” he said.
Feucht has several concerts scheduled in western Canada next month.
Matthew Horwood contributed to this article.
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