MPs call on Canada to bar British rap duo Bob Vylan over ‘death, death to the IDF' chant at Glastonbury
The announcement prompted Housefather, a former special advisor on antisemitism and Jewish community relations under then prime minister Justin Trudeau, to demand the federal government follow suit. Bob Vylan is set to perform in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal in December.
'This is a good decision by the United States,' Housefather wrote on Monday afternoon. 'The incitement by Bob Vylan and his band at Glastonbury have no place in North America. I have been in touch with the minister of Public Safety and believe that Mr. Vylan's actions should render him inadmissible to Canada.'
On Saturday, frontman Bobby Vylan shouted 'Free, free Palestine' while on stage, before leading the crowd to chant 'Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defense Forces).'
On social media on Sunday, Vylan, whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, appeared to stand by his comments. In an Instagram post captioned 'I said what I said,' he wrote that he has received 'messages of both support and hatred' over his performance.
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Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. So when the British Broadcasting Corporation belatedly said it regrets not pulling its live broadcast during Bob Vylan's anti-Israel provocations, it is not because it did not expect controversy over the Mideast at all. The BBC had already decided not to broadcast Kneecap live. And just last week, BBC Director-General Tim Davie announced new editorial guidelines about hate speech, including that broadcasting it could constitute a criminal offence, if it is 'intended to stir up hatred relating to religious belief.' What followed, then, was predictable if not specifically expected. 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The U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, announced Monday the State Department has revoked visas for the performers 'in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants. Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.' In Canada, Liberal MP Anthony Housefather said this was a good idea, and said on social media he had been in touch with Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree to recommend Canada follow the American lead. Opposition Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner said Canada should do the same, and tagged the minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, Lena Diab, in a social media post. This is a good decision by the United States. The incitement by Bob Vylan and his band at Glastonbury have no place in North America. I have been in touch with the Minister of Public Safety and believe that Mr. Vylan's actions should render him inadmissible to Canada. A Public Safety spokesperson said he could not say whether that would happen, and that this would be a question for border services. The Canada Border Services Agency said it was not in a position to comment on this specific case, and said admissibility decisions are made 'case-by-case,' based on information available at a person's time of entry, and by sharing relevant information on border and national security issues with other agencies and countries. It is not clear Bob Vylan has any plans to come to Canada. Their website lists upcoming tour dates in Britain and Europe, and American stops later in the fall, now presumably cancelled. Promotional material for a tour by the American-Canadian rapper Grandson with stops in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal lists Bob Vylan as a co-headliner on American dates, but not the Canadian ones. The group was also dropped by their agent, United Talent Agency. 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