A controversial Christian singer-songwriter and preacher who has repeatedly endorsed Donald Trump, his administration’s policies, and the overall Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, performed a hastily organized concert in Alfred and Plantagenet on Saturday, July 26.
Sean Feucht, whose Canadian Tour was marked by permits being revoked in Halifax and Montréal, was to perform in Gatineau on the weekend at Jacques Cartier Park, but the National Capital Commission refused to issue a permit for the concert to be held at the venue beside the Ottawa River.
Feucht’s “Ottawa” show was instead relocated to an open field at the corner of Highway 17 and Péladeau Road from 3 pm to 5 pm on Saturday.
Social media posts show about 300 people in the field in front of a stage. Some were waving Israeli flags or placards displaying political and religious messages.
“We just changed venues like six hours ago,” Feucht said in a video, excitedly showing “spontaneous baptisms” of young people taking place.
“The Church of Ottawa is rising up RIGHT NOW! Despite cancelling, censorship, fines, and Antifa attacks, a movement has begun that will not be stopped!” read a social media post Feucht overlaid on a video of the audience in the field, which is actually 80 kilometres from downtown Ottawa.
Last week in Halifax, Feucht was to perform at the York Redoubt National Historic Site, but Parks Canada revoked the permit. In Montréal, the city also revoked a permit, but the show went ahead anyway, and now the city is fining the church where the show was held for $2,500.
In the past, Feucht has been critical of the LGBTQ community, abortion rights, and critical race theory. In 2020, he unsuccessfully ran as a Republican for the US House of Representatives.
