A Christian worship organization has taken legal action against Quebec City for abruptly ending its agreement and canceling the performance of controversial American musician Sean Feucht during the previous summer. Feucht was set to perform at a free event in July at ExpoCité, a venue owned and operated by the city.
The day before the scheduled concert, Quebec City terminated the contract, following the lead of several other Canadian cities that axed events planned for Feucht’s “Revive in 25” tour due to backlash over his contentious viewpoints. Feucht has expressed controversial opinions on topics such as the 2SLGBTQ+ community, abortion rights, and critical race theory on his website. He also ran for U.S. Congress as a Republican in 2020 and has since been associated with the MAGA political movement.
Halifax was the first Canadian city to relocate Feucht’s performance after Parks Canada revoked the event permit. Subsequently, other cities, including Quebec City, followed suit. In a lawsuit filed on November 14, Burn 24/7 Canada Worship Ministries, the organizer of the Canadian events and the Canadian arm of Burn 24/7 founded by Feucht, alleged that Quebec City violated constitutional guarantees, including freedom of religion, expression, opinion, and peaceful assembly.
The organization is seeking a refund of $2,609.93 for the rental space at ExpoCité, along with $5,000 for what it deems as unconstitutional and unjustified violations of rights. Additionally, they are requesting a judicial declaration of unwarranted rights infringements.
According to the lawsuit, the city cited a “vague clause” to justify canceling the event, claiming that the presence of a controversial artist would harm ExpoCité’s reputation. The lawyer representing Burn 24/7 Canada Worship Ministries stated that the city did not request information about the performer beforehand, so there was no attempt to conceal Feucht’s involvement.
This lawsuit is the first legal action arising from the tour incident during the summer, with the possibility of more lawsuits in the future. While other cities cited security concerns for cancellations, Quebec City allegedly used a vague clause to justify its decision. The lawsuit argues that ExpoCité has the right to take actions it deems necessary to prevent behavior or activities that may harm its interests or reputation.
The lawsuit criticizes the city’s reasons as being far-fetched and not aligned with the rule of law, bordering on irrationality. The lawyer emphasized that public spaces should not discriminate based on political or religious beliefs. Quebec City’s Mayor’s office declined to comment on the case since it is under legal review. A city spokesperson stated that they could not confirm if the lawsuit had been received and that no comments would be made if it had been received.
