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Bob Vylan ignited a firestorm at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday (June 28) after leading chants critical of Israel’s military, prompting backlash from festival organizers, British officials and law enforcement.
During their set, the British rap-punk duo shouted “death, death to the IDF” and “Free, free Palestine.”
Member Bobby Vylan also declared, “Hell yeah, from the river to the sea, Palestine must be, will be, inshallah, it will be free.”
Festival organizers responded swiftly, calling the performance unacceptable.
“Their chants very much crossed a line,” they said in a statement. “We are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence.”
British Prime Minister Calls Out BBC Over Bob Vylan Set
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed the condemnation, labeling the chants “appalling hate speech.”
He added, “I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence. The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast.”
The BBC called the language “deeply offensive” and removed the performance from its iPlayer platform.
Meanwhile, Avon and Somerset Police confirmed they are reviewing footage to determine whether any laws were broken.
Bobby Vylan addressed the controversy on Instagram, standing by his words.
“I said what I said,” he wrote. He also emphasized the importance of activism, especially among youth:
“The only way we can make this world a better place is by encouraging our children to speak up for what they want and need. Today it’s about altering school meals; tomorrow it could involve changing foreign policy.”
The Glastonbury fallout wasn’t limited to Bob Vylan.
Irish Hip-Hop group Kneecap also drew scrutiny after a politically charged set that included a jab at Prime Minister Starmer.
“The prime minister of your country, not mine, said he didn’t want us to play, so f### Keir Starmer,” said member Mo Chara, who is currently facing a terrorism-related charge. “This situation can be quite stressful but it’s minimal compared to what the Palestinian people are (facing).”
Police are also reviewing Kneecap’s performance for potential criminal violations.
As of Monday (June 30), no charges have been filed in connection with either performance.
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