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The City of Abbotsford in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley says it will not issue a permit for a concert by Sean Feucht, becoming the latest Canadian cancellation for the American Christian musician who’s outspoken in the Make America Great Again movement.
The city said in a statement that the permit for a proposed Aug. 24 show at Mill Lake Park is being denied because of the potential for protesters and counter-protesters.
BC Conservative legislator Heather Maahs, who represents Chilliwack North, says on social media platform X that Abbotsford’s decision “undermines the principles of an open, democratic society.”
Maahs says the cancellation raises “serious concerns” about freedom of expression, religion and peaceful assembly.
Feucht ran unsuccessfully as a Republican candidate for Congress in 2020 and has been criticized for remarks on the LGBTQ+ community and abortion.
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Six of his concerts in Central and Eastern Canada were cancelled last week.
“Given the recent publicity surrounding the proposed event, the city believes that the event could potentially attract significant numbers of protesters and counter-protesters in addition to attendees,” the City of Abbotsford says in the statement.
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“These factors, among others, make the community safety considerations of the proposed event extremely difficult to mitigate, and the city found that no permit conditions could adequately address the potential risks to the public.”
Feucht criticized the cancellation on X.
“You can no longer call Abbotsford the ‘Bible Belt’ of B.C. when they cancel outdoor worship to Jesus,” Feucht says in the post.
Feucht is also due to play in West Kelowna on Aug. 23, and the city said earlier this week that it was reviewing safety and security plans for the private booking and there were “increased concerns” about the concert.
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