BREAKING NEWS Bob Vylan say they are being 'targeted for speaking up' amid furore over anti-Israel Glastonbury set - as police launch investigation into their performance
Bobby Vylan, one half of the British rap punk duo, led the audience at the festival in Somerset on Saturday in chants that also included 'Free, free Palestine'.
The performance at the West Holts Stage was livestreamed by the BBC but the organisation later expressed regret for not stopping its broadcast of the set.
The corporation has faced strong criticism for continuing to livestream the performance on iPlayer with on-screen warnings about discriminatory language.
Today, Bob Vylan said in a statement on Instagram: 'Today, a good many people would have you believe a punk band is the number one threat to world peace. Last week it was a Palestine pressure group, the week before that it was another band.
'We are not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine. A machine whose own soldiers were told to use 'unnecessary lethal force' against innocent civilians waiting for aid. A machine that has destroyed much of Gaza.
'We, like those in the spotlight before us, are not the story. We are a distraction from the story. And whatever sanctions we receive will be a distraction. The Government doesn't want us to ask why they remain silent in the face of this atrocity? To ask why they aren't doing more to stop the killing? To feed the starving?
'The more time they talk about Bob Vylan, the less time they spend answering for their criminal inaction. We are being targeted for speaking up. We are not the first. We will not be the last. And if you care for the sanctity of human life and freedom of speech, we urge you to speak up too. Free Palestine.'
Irish rap trio Kneecap, including member Liam Og O hAnnaidh who appeared in court last month charged with a terror offence, took to the stage directly after Bob Vylan and led chants of 'Free Palestine'.
Yesterday, Avon and Somerset Police said it had launched a probe into both performances after reviewing video footage and audio recordings, with a senior detective appointed to lead the investigation.
A police spokesman said: 'This has been recorded as a public order incident at this time while our inquiries are at an early stage.
'The investigation will be evidence-led and will closely consider all appropriate legislation, including relating to hate crimes.'
US deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau also announced yesterday that Bob Vylan's American visas had been revoked due to 'their hateful tirade at Glastonbury', with the duo scheduled to tour in Chicago, Brooklyn and Philadelphia in October.
Meanwhile it has been revealed that the BBC's director-general Tim Davie was at Glastonbury when Bob Vylan led the chants, during a visit to meet staff on Saturday afternoon.
A BBC spokesperson said: 'The director-general was informed of the incident after the performance and at that point he was clear it should not feature in any other Glastonbury coverage.'
News of Mr Davie's presence at the festival comes as the Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis berated the BBC for what he called 'the airing of vile Jew-hatred' and the broadcaster's 'belated and mishandled response'.
Sir Ephraim wrote on X: 'This is a time of national shame. The airing of vile Jew-hatred at Glastonbury and the BBC's belated and mishandled response, brings confidence in our national broadcaster's ability to treat antisemitism seriously to a new low.
'It should trouble all decent people that now, one need only couch their outright incitement to violence and hatred as edgy political commentary, for ordinary people to not only fail to see it for what it is, but also to cheer it, chant it and celebrate it.
'Toxic Jew-hatred is a threat to our entire society.'
Broadcasting regulator Ofcom said it was 'very concerned' by the BBC's decision to continue livestreaming the performance - and the Culture Secretary claimed the issue should have been foreseeable and constituted 'a problem of leadership' for the BBC.
In a statement yesterday, the BBC said: 'Millions of people tuned in to enjoy Glastonbury this weekend across the BBC's output but one performance within our livestreams included comments that were deeply offensive.
'The BBC respects freedom of expression but stands firmly against incitement to violence. The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves.
'We welcome Glastonbury's condemnation of the performance. The performance was part of a livestream of the West Holts stage on BBC iPlayer.
'The judgment on Saturday to issue a warning on screen while streaming online was in line with our editorial guidelines. In addition, we took the decision not to make the performance available on demand.
'The team were dealing with a live situation, but with hindsight we should have pulled the stream during the performance. We regret this did not happen.'
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told the Commons yesterday the Government was 'exasperated' with the 'lack of account from the leadership' at the BBC.
Ms Nandy said the incident at Worthy Farm had raised 'very, very serious questions at the highest levels of the BBC about the operational oversight and the way in which editorial standards are understood', adding that she wanted to see 'rapid action' from the broadcaster.
Cabinet minister Jonathan Reynolds said the scenes at Glastonbury raised wider concerns about society.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today: 'There are some lessons, I think, for broadcasters from this, but let's also not shy away from the issue, which is people in a crowd glorifying violence.
'I don't think it's something we'd associate with any music festival, but it's a wider societal problem.'
He added: 'It's possible, I think, to be completely concerned by the scenes in Gaza and not stray into the kind of behaviour and endorsement that we saw with that performance.
'And I'm deeply shocked to be honest, that people would even not realise what I think they're participating in when they do that.'
Glastonbury Festival organisers also condemned Bob Vylan's chants, saying it was 'appalled' by what was said on stage, adding 'there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence'.
Bob Vylan formed in Ipswich in 2017 and have released four albums addressing issues such as racism, masculinity and class.
Bobby Vylan is the stage name of Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, according to reports. His bandmate drummer uses the alias Bobbie Vylan.
In a previous statement posted to Instagram yesterday, he said: 'Teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need is the only way that we make this world a better place.
'As we grow older and our fire starts to possibly dim under the suffocation of adult life and all its responsibilities, it is incredibly important that we encourage and inspire future generations to pick up the torch that was passed to us.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
32 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Alexander Zverev admits he may need therapy as Wimbledon No. 3 seed crashes out in shock first round defeat following years of violence and domestic abuse allegations
A candid Sascha Zverev described himself as empty, joyless and needing therapy as he crashed out of Wimbledon to little-known Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech. While the 29-year-old winner belly-flopped in celebration on Centre Court, third seed Zverev opened his soul following the defeat in five sets. 'I've never felt this empty before. Just lacking joy, outside of tennis as well,' he said. Asked if he'd consider therapy, he replied: 'Maybe for the first time in my life I'll probably need it.' Zverev's defeat 7-6 6-7 6-3 6-7 6-4 in four hours, 40 minutes - the longest match of the championships so far - was a massive shock. His opponent turns 30 this month and had never previously been past the first round at Wimbledon but didn't drop serve against the three-time Grand Slam finalist. After securing his fourth match point, Rinderknech told the crowd: 'My knees are still shaking.' In contrast, Zverev implied the off-court pressures being accused of violence and domestic abuse had taken its toll even though he had repeatedly denied the allegations and a Berlin court case was discontinued last year. He said on Tuesday night: 'I've been through a lot of difficulties in the media. I've been through a lot of difficulties in life generally. 'Even when I'm winning like in Stuttgart or Halle (tournaments) it's not necessarily, like, a feeling that I used to get where I was happy, over the moon, I felt motivated to keep going. 'It's just not there right now for me, which, again, is the first time in my life which I'm feeling. 'I don't think tennis is the problem right now for me. It is something else I have to find within me at the moment. 'It is difficult for me to tell you because I don't have the answers right now.' Zverev was heckled by a spectator at a tournament in Munich earlier this year regarding the allegations and asked for them to be ejected.
Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Bridgerton's Simone Ashley admits she suffered 'a lot of anxiety' after soaring to global fame and teases she will open up about her 'heartbreak' in 'beautiful and messy' debut album
Simone Ashley has opened up about suffering from 'a lot of anxiety' after her fame sky-rocketed following the release of Bridgerton. The actress, 30, first rose to fame after starring in Sex Education but then soared to global stardom playing Kathani 'Kate' Bridgerton in the smash hit Netflix series. Gracing Harper's Bazaar's digital cover, Simone looked sensational in an array of chic looks, including an oversized baby pink dressing gown and a white halterneck draped gown with a thigh-high split and a denim corset. And in an accompanying interview, Simone got candid about how being catapulted into the public eye affected her mental wellbeing. Simone revealed she was left with such bad anxiety that she would often avoid leaving the house so she didn't risk being recognised. She said: 'When Bridgerton came out, those were some of the best years of my life, but I also had a lot of anxiety. The actress, 30, plays Kathani 'Kate' Bridgerton in the Netflix series but her rise to fame first came after her appearance in Sex Education 'I was coming to terms with what I wanted and what I didn't, learning lessons about what really matters to me, taming my ego, listening to my heart… Life has changed and there are certain things I can and can't do now. 'There was a time when I didn't leave the house often because I was afraid of being recognised. 'But it's a journey and I've reached a point where I just don't care as much.' Simone went on to discuss how her heartbreak after her recent break-up boyfriend of three years Constantin 'Tino' Klein helped fuel her upcoming album. She said: 'It's going to be somewhat confessional… and beautiful and messy. That idealistic expectation of being single and having a completely clean start is not what I have been pursuing. 'Good songs don't come from times when my life is regimented and predictable. They come when I am feeling vitality, and usually you either feel that way when your heart's broken, or you're euphoric. 'This work has been an amazing channel to put all those feelings into.' Rather than the classic acting route of going to drama school and securing an agent, Simone bravely decided to move to LA at the age of 18. 'It was quite reckless of me,' she said. 'There wasn't that safety bubble of graduating from drama school, getting an agent, doing it the normal way. I was really scrappy. 'Since I was little, if I wanted something, I would do anything I could to get it. So, I took some modelling jobs to pay the bills and got into acting through that.' Simone added: 'You can't have a plan B – you're either all in or not. It's like a relationship. If you do have a plan B, it's probably not going to work out.' It comes after Simone turned out for the European premiere, despite being cut from the Brad Pitt-fronted film. The star was dropped from the final version of the movie. Despite the career blow, Simone oozed class as she walked the glamorous red carpet in Leicester Square. Turning heads in a metallic-like gold ensemble, the star wore a structured silhouette dress with a high neckline and a dramatic peplum at the waist. Simone completed her look with High Hera Hoops and Double Love Ring from Skydiamond. F1's director Joseph Kosinski previously defended axing Simone's lines from the movie in a interview and explained the actress will still appear on screen, though she does not have any lines. He told People: 'It happens on every film, where you have to shoot more than you can use. There were two or three storylines that ultimately didn't make into the final cut, 'But Simone, she's an incredible talent, incredible actress, incredible singer, and I would love to work with her again.'
Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Campaigners call for Wimbledon to end partnership with Range Rover and for players to use public transport instead of its SUVs during tournament
Anti SUV campaigns have today written to organisers of the Wimbledon tennis championship calling for them to scrap the competition's deal with Range Rover and encourage players to use 'London's world-renowned public transport network'. The SUV Alliance, with the backing of 'London parents and 15 grassroots groups', says the summer sporting event should immediately terminate its 10-year partnership with the British car firm. The open letter also demands the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) revokes the use of Range Rover hybrid vehicles for tournament participants and coaches over the 'huge danger that supersized SUVs cause for children, pedestrians and cyclists'. The group - in a separate statement - linked its concerns to the death of two eight-year old-girls, Selena Lau and Nuria Sajjad, who were killed outside their primary school in July 2023 - just streets away from where the Championships were taking place at the time. Claire Freemantle, 48, crashed her Land Rover Defender into a crowd gathered for an end-of-term tea party at the nearby The Study Preparatory School, costing the lives of the two children and injuring 10 others. Medical examination had originally shown that she had suffered an epileptic seizure, resulting in the loss of control of the £80,000 vehicle and was not charged. However, Freemantle was rearrested in January on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, with a full investigation ongoing. JLR (formerly Jaguar Land Rover and the parent group of Range Rover) deferred comment on the letter to the AELTC, which said the SUVs are typically driven only in electric mode and that it requires players to travel with at least three guests, with large vehicles needed to transport their 'considerable luggage, kit bags, equipment, and racquets'. In the open letter addressed to the chair of the AELTC, Ms Deborah Jevans CBE, and Usama Al-Qassab, its marketing and commercial director, the campaign group said: 'We the undersigned are once again writing with dismay about the use of large SUVs as the official vehicle of the Wimbledon Championship, and the wider sponsorship of Wimbledon by Jaguar Land Rover as a leading manufacturer of these vehicles. 'Research has shown that heavy and large SUVs, like the Range Rover, are especially dangerous to children and people walking, wheeling and cycling. 'The use of these vehicles stands in direct contradiction to the sport-positive message of the Championship and ignores the concerns of Londoners.' It referenced a recent YouGov poll of 1,000 London adults (conducted between 5 and 7 April 2025) that found that 61 per cent of parents in the capital are concerned that bigger cars make it more dangerous for children to walk and cycle. 'The probability of someone walking or cycling being killed increases by 44 per cent when struck by an SUV compared to a small car, increasing further to 82 per cent for children. This is due to the extra weight of an SUV and design features such as a taller bonnet,' the letter goes on. 'Many of us are parents and grandparents ourselves and feel the dilemma of wanting to encourage our children to walk, wheel, cycle and play outdoors - for health, mental health and their own autonomy - but at the same time fearing what could happen if our children share the streets with supersized SUVs.' The letter also raised issue with the local air pollution impact of AELTC using Range Rover Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) cars - which can be driven for around 75 miles in electric-only mode if the battery is fully charged - to transport players, their entourages and VIPs to and from the event. Organisers last year said the plug-in electric hybrid Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Velar vehicles used are charged at the club 'using 100 per cent renewable electricity for near-silent running throughout The Championships'. However, the anti-SUV group said the vehicles will 'still emit particulate pollution from tyre wear, a leading source of pollution in London, which is made more severe by the Range Rover's weight'. The letter carries on: 'We must also be clear that this sponsorship is a form of advertising. The endorsement of large SUVs through partnerships like JLR and the AELTC drives an unnecessary aspirational culture for ever larger vehicles, at the expense of public space and safety for others. 'Excessive advertising and marketing has contributed to SUV ownership surging in the UK, from just 19 per cent of sales 10 years ago to 62 per cent of new car sales last year.' Instead of using Range Rover's supplied fleet of PHEV models, the campaign group suggested organisers make its 'large volumes of players and entourages around the tournament' instead use 'London's world-renowned public transport network' and 'shared transport and active travel options' to 'set an example and to deliver the Championship's fundamental sporting message'. It adds that 'where cars are necessary' the organisers should only supply small electric vehicles while considering alternative vehicle partners. In a further statement, Oliver Lord, head of the Clean Cities campaign group - which is part of the SUV Alliance - said: 'It's astonishing how Wimbledon insists on deploying large SUVs in our crowded capital despite excellent public transport and mounting evidence of the dangerous risk they pose to children. 'Why can't guests use public transport like most Londoners, at the very least, more normal sized cars that don't crowd us off the roads or endanger people walking and cycling?' JLR was contacted by This is Money, with a spokesperson telling us that it 'defers to the All England Lawn Tennis Club for comment'. This is Money has also contacted the AELTC for response. The 2025 Wimbledon tournament started on Monday, with the anti-SUV campaigners issuing their open letter on Wednesday. Pictured: Defending Men's Champion Carlos Alcaraz on Monday A spokesperson for the All England Club commented: 'JLR has been an important partner to The Championships since 2015, specifically with Range Rover this year. 'We have worked closely with them on the inclusion of a significant number of lower emission plug-in hybrid vehicles in our fleet which, are being charged on-site with 100 per cent renewable electricity. 'Given the length of Grand Slam events – three weeks from the start of practice to the conclusion of the competition – players generally prefer to stay in residential rather than hotel accommodation during their time at Wimbledon. 'This is a great boost for the local area as players become part of the local community, but it does require a vehicle fleet to shuttle players between their accommodation and the grounds.' The spokesperson added: 'Players regularly travel with at least three guests, (typically coach, physio, or family members) and often arrive directly from other tournaments without going home for weeks or even months. 'We work closely with these elite athletes and their teams to guarantee appropriate space, including head room for them and their entourage, who also often have considerable luggage, kit bags, equipment, and racquets. 'Our objective is therefore to accommodate each player and their team within one vehicle versus the need for two separate vehicles. 'Our focus this year remains for as many journeys as possible to be delivered in EV mode. Trip distances all take place within a seven-mile radius, but the average trip length is less than five miles, meaning the majority can be delivered on the EV range of the hybrid Range Rover vehicles which we are using.' T&E's analysis of the new car market found that the average bonnet height of a passenger car sold in the UK has jumped from 77cm in 2010 to 84cm in 2024 Analysis carried out by Loughborough University on behalf of T&E said a driver of a RAM TRX truck is unable to see a child up to 9 years old directly in front of their bumper. For a driver of a Land Rover Defender, the high bonnet blocks their view of children up to 4.5 years, it claimed The report says higher-fronted SUVs significantly increases the death rate when pedestrians are struck as they are more likely to be pulled under a moving vehicle rather than bounce off them The alliance's attack on Range Rover comes weeks after an environmental think tank dubbed SUVs a 'growing threat to public safety'. It claimed their higher bonnets means drivers are unable to see children as old as nine standing directly in front of them. This, it said, is a particular risk when motorists are leaving a driveway or parking space, or when travelling in stop-start traffic outside schools. Transport & Environment, which produced the report, said average bonnet heights for newly-sold cars in the UK is increasing by half a centimetre a year - reaching 83.8cm in 2024 - due to the ongoing popularity of SUV-style vehicles. It pointed the finger squarely at the demand for JLR models in Britain for accelerating this increase in bonnet height. It claimed that the front of SUVs typically strike adult pedestrians above the centre of gravity, often first hitting vital organs in the body's core, with a higher likelihood of knocking them forward and down, and a greater risk of driving over them. This is deemed far more dangerous than conventional hatchback and saloon cars with lower bonnets, which tend to hit pedestrians' legs, giving them greater chances of falling towards the vehicle, or of being deflected. However, JLR (formerly Jaguar Land Rover and the parent company of Range Rover) hit back at that report, saying it fits all its new models with the 'latest in advanced safety technology features' to mitigate such scenarios. This includes pedestrian detection, 3D surround cameras, and autonomous emergency braking. Transport & Environment previously accused supersized SUVs - like the Range Rover - of leaving less room for other road users as well as being too big for standard parking bays Claire Freemantle, the driver of the Land Rover Defender that collided with and caused the death of the two school girls on 6 July 2023, was originally arrested at the scene. Following an initial investigation, the Crime Prosecution Service (CPS) said Ms Freemantle had suffered an epileptic seizure behind the wheel, which caused her to lose control of the vehicle that then drove through a fence and into the school playground. As a result this meant she would not be charged, it said. At the time, her solicitor said her epilepsy had 'never previously manifested itself' and Ms Freemantle 'had always enjoyed good health'. However, in January, Freemantle was released on bail after being rearrested earlier that month on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. She was arrested for the second time after the Met Police said it reviewed its investigation following the CPS's decision last June not to charge her. The Met Police said a specialist crime review group had 'identified lines of inquiry which required further examination'. Speaking in response to the tragic incident, a JLR spokesperson today told This is Money: 'Our deepest sympathies remain with all those affected.
