Protests erupt outside Montreal church where U.S. Christian musician held worship performance

Protesters and police faced off outside a Plateau church Friday evening as Sean Feucht, a pro-Trump and Christian singer, performed a concert as part of his “Revive in 25” Let Us Worship tour. The show went ahead despite a warning from the city that the venue, Église MR, did not have the required permit to host the event.

The show went ahead despite a warning from the city that the venue, Église MR, did not have the required permit to host the event.

Earlier Friday, the Montreal mayor’s office said borough inspectors had notified the owners the activity cannot legally proceed, and that police are prepared to intervene if necessary.

“If the event goes ahead, notices of violation will be issued, and the neighbourhood police station is mobilized to enforce the regulations,” said Catherine Cadotte, a spokesperson for Mayor Valérie Plante.

Police briefly entered the church before the event began. But an officer at the scene later confirmed the show would proceed.

Montreal Police is entering the church where Christian singer Sean Feucht is due to perform. The city of Montreal has said it must not go ahead due to not having the right permits. pic.twitter.com/h7Xg8CkVtr

— Harry North (@hsnorth_) July 25, 2025

Feucht said he was unfazed by the city’s position.

“This is not a performance, it’s a church service,” he said.

As Feucht’s supporters began arriving, local activists gathered in front of the Spanish-speaking church on Roy St, chanting anti-Trump and anti-fascism slogans. Tensions grew as the crowd grew.

By 7 p.m., demonstrators had surrounded the church entrance. Dozens of police officers formed a perimeter, and at least one protester was arrested.

During one tense moment, a protester’s interaction with a journalist from news outlet Rebel News resulted in police intervening to separate the two.

Inside the church, a few dozen attendees gathered, joining in song and prayer.

By 8.30 p.m., the crowd of protesters outside the church had thinned out.

Montreal Police quickly intervene between a counter-protester to the Sean Feucht concert and the Rebel News team pic.twitter.com/NR15emy2Af

— Harry North (@hsnorth_) July 25, 2025

Feucht, a former worship leader and MAGA-aligned activist, has faced similar pushback across Canada. All six of his previously scheduled concerts in Halifax, Charlottetown, Moncton, Quebec City, Gatineau and Vaughan were cancelled by local authorities.

Cities said the cancellations were prompted by “heightened public safety concerns” and the potential for protests. Feucht’s outspoken views on abortion, gender identity and LGBTQ+ rights has drawn criticism and been cited as a source of tension.

Feucht has scrambled to put on shows at alternative locations. On Thursday night, he performed at the Bar None Campsite on the Taxis River in Miramichi, N.B., to replace a cancelled show in Moncton.

The hastily-organized event prompted a statement from the owners of the campground on Friday saying the show was not authorized and does not align with their core beliefs, according to the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal.

“It’s important that our partner organizations know that the performer involved in this event does not align with what we stand for as an organization,” Michelle Seymour, director of administration for Bridges of Canada, said in a statement late Friday afternoon, adding they are conducting an investigation. “We believe in compassion, inclusivity, and integrity.”

Pastor Byron & his wife Amanda are the real heroes tonight in Montreal.When the city cancelled our permit (and kept our money), he opened his beautiful church. When the mayor tried to force him to stop worship IN HIS OWN CHURCH, he refused. May God raise up 1000 more like… pic.twitter.com/EhhCNfwIGN

— Sean Feucht (@seanfeucht) July 26, 2025

The Montreal show was another last-minute announcement to make up for cancelled shows. He has framed the opposition to his performances as a form of religious discrimination.

“If I had shown up with purple hair and a dress, claiming to be a woman, the government wouldn’t have said a word,” he posted earlier this week.

On Friday afternoon, Feucht claimed the pastor of the Montreal church had been “pressured, threatened and attacked” for agreeing to host the concert.

Then, in a follow-up post, he appeared to maintain that the show would still go ahead.

“This pastor and his church ARE NOT BACKING DOWN!!!,” he wrote.

Earlier in the day, Feucht reported that his tour bus was struck by another driver in Quebec.

“The Quebec police on the scene were unbelievably kind and other driver acknowledged he slammed into our bus and somehow ‘lost control,’” he wrote.

The Let Us Worship movement began during the COVID-19 pandemic as a protest against public health restrictions on religious gatherings.

Feucht has since gained a national profile in the United States and brought his message to Canada despite picking some controversy along the way.

— The New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal contributed to this report.

• All six Canadian venues cancel Christian musician Sean Feucht’s shows
• Chris Selley: Banning MAGA singer Sean Feucht, Canada slips further into Trump-ian incoherence

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