Police launch probe over "death to the IDF" calls at Bob Vylan's Glastonbury gig
Bob Vylan, a punk duo consisting of singer and guitarist Bobby Vylan and drummer Bobbie Vylan, led crowds in chants of 'Free Palestine' and 'Death to the IDF' on Saturday afternoon, prompting fury from supporters of Israel on social media.
Police have launched a probe into the performance by Bob Vylan at Glastonbury on Saturday over chants of 'death to the IDF'.
Bob Vylan, a punk duo consisting of singer and guitarist Bobby Vylan and drummer Bobbie Vylan, led crowds in chants of 'Free Palestine' and 'Death to the IDF' on Saturday afternoon, prompting fury from supporters of Israel on social media.
The performance was streamed live on the BBC ahead of Kneecap 's highly anticipated performance.
The broadcaster had decided not to air the Irish rap trio live and instead said their show would be put online at a later date. It came amid calls from Keir Starmer for Kneecap to be removed from the lineup.
However, Glastonbury bosses made the decision to keep them at the festival, which attracted a massive crowd. So many fans flocked to the West Holts stage while duo Bob Vylan was on, that the area became too full to allow any more people in.
During their performance, Bob Vylan showed their support for Palestine as a large message appeared on the screen behind them. It read: "Free Palestine. United Nations have called it a genocide. The BBC calls it a 'conflict'."
Bobby called out chants "Free Free Palestine" and "Death Death to the IDF," [ Israel Defence Forces] as the large crowd shouted it back.
He then said: "From the river to the sea Palestine must be, will be, free."
The duo shared their support for Kneecap as they said: "Recently a list was released of people trying to stop our mates Kneecap from performing here today. And who do I see on that f***ing list, but that bald-headed c*** I used to f***ing work for."
He spoke about a colleague at a record company he used to work at, which was met by loud boos from the crowd. The singer later told the crowd: "We're seeing some f***ed up things in the world.
"We're seeing the UK and the US be complicit in war crimes and genocide happening over there to the Palestinian people. And I know we're on the BBC, we're not going to say anything crazy. Leave that for them lads, you know what I mean.
"But unfortunately we have seen a strange reaction to people that come out and voice support for Palestine. Even though anybody with any moral compass can surely see that what is happening over there in Gaza is a tragedy."
Bobby added: "We are not pacifist punks here over at Bob Vylan Enterprises. We are the violent punks, because sometimes, you have to get your message across with violence because that is the only language some people speak."
Bob Vylan received huge support from those at the stage at Glastonbury as well as online, while some others disagreed with their message on social media. One person commented: "Isn't it supposed to be a music content?"
Another added: "This is nothing but vile.'
Police have since said they are monitoring footage from the stage that both Bob Vylan and Kneecap performed on.
Avon and Somerset police posted on X: "We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon.
"Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation."
The Labour government has 'strongly condemned' the scenes aired live on the BBC.
The conflict in Gaza has now claimed the lives of more than 56,000 Palestinians, as reported by Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. The ministry states that more than half of the dead were women and children.
About 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with less than half believed to be alive. They were among around 250 hostages taken during a Hamas attack on Israel on 7th October 2023, igniting an attack that has lasted for 21 months.
Hamas has consistently stated its willingness to release all hostages in return for an end to the Gaza war. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists he will only cease hostilities once Hamas is disarmed and exiled; a proposition the group has refused.
It is understood that Bob Vylan's performance can now no longer be rewatched on BBC iPlayer as coverage of the West Holts stage at Glastonbury only goes back to around 5pm.
In response, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has demanded an 'urgent explanation' from Tim Davie, the BBC's Director General.
A government spokesperson said: 'We strongly condemn the threatening comments made by Bob Vylan at Glastonbury.
'The Culture Secretary has spoken to the B BC Director General to seek an urgent explanation about what due diligence it carried out ahead of the Bob Vylan performance, and welcomes the decision not to re-broadcast it on BBC iPlayer.'
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Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Glasgow Times
BBC under pressure amid criticism of ‘death to the IDF' chants at Glastonbury
Rapper Bobby Vylan, of rap punk duo Bob Vylan, on Saturday led crowds on the festival's West Holts Stage in chants of 'Free, free Palestine' and 'Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)'. A member of Belfast rap trio Kneecap suggested fans 'start a riot' at his bandmate's forthcoming court appearance related to a terrorism charge. Responding to the chants from Bob Vylan, the Prime Minister said: 'There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech. '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.' A member of Kneecap said 'f*** Keir Starmer' during their performance after the Prime Minister called for the band not to play at the festival. Avon and Somerset Police said video evidence from the performances would be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation. Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis said Bob Vylan's chants 'very much crossed a line'. '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,' she said in a statement. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said Bob Vylan was 'inciting violence and hatred' and should be arrested and prosecuted. 'By broadcasting his vile hatred, the BBC appear to have also broken the law,' he said. 'I call on the Police to urgently investigate and prosecute the BBC as well for broadcasting this. Our national broadcaster should not be transmitting hateful material designed to incite violence and conflict,' he posted on X. Health Secretary Wes Streeting called it a 'pretty shameless publicity stunt' and said the BBC and Glastonbury have 'questions to answer about how we saw such a spectacle on our screens', speaking to Sky News. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the scenes 'grotesque'. 'Glorifying violence against Jews isn't edgy. The West is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked,' she wrote on X. Shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately said she was 'horrified' and that the BBC should have cut the feed. 'Given the nature of the attacks on Israel, the BBC should not have kept broadcasting that. They should have cut the coverage immediately,' she told Times Radio. Liberal Democrat culture, media and sport spokesman Max Wilkinson said: 'Bob Vylan's chants at Glastonbury yesterday were appalling. Cultural events are always a place for debate, but hate speech, antisemitism and incitements to violence have no place at Glastonbury or anywhere in our society.' Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to the BBC director general about Bob Vylan's performance, a Government spokesperson said. The BBC said it showed a warning during the performance and that viewers would not be able to access it on demand. Bob Vylan performing on the West Holts Stage (Ben Birchall/PA) A spokesperson for the broadcaster said: 'Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive. 'During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language. 'We have no plans to make the performance available on demand.' The Israeli embassy said it was 'deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival'. The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said it would be formally complaining to the BBC over its 'outrageous decision' to broadcast Bob Vylan. 'Our national broadcaster must apologise for its dissemination of this extremist vitriol, and those responsible must be removed from their positions,' a spokesperson said. Bob Vylan, who formed in Ipswich in 2017, have released four albums addressing issues to do with racism, masculinity and class. Bobby Vylan's real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, according to reports. He is listed on Companies House as the director of Ghost Theatre Records, which is operated by Bob Vylan. Kneecap performing on the West Holts Stage (Yui Mok/PA) Kneecap have been in the headlines after member Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence. The group performed after Vylan's set on the West Holts Stage with O hAnnaidh exclaiming 'Glastonbury, I'm a free man' as they took to the stage. In reference to his bandmate's forthcoming court date, Naoise O Caireallain, who performs under the name Moglai Bap, said they would 'start a riot outside the courts', before clarifying: 'No riots, just love and support, and support for Palestine.' In the run-up to the festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset, several politicians called for the group to be removed from the line-up and Sir Keir said their performance would not be 'appropriate'. During Kneecap's set, O hAnnaidh said: 'The prime minister of your country, not mine, said he didn't want us to play, so f*** Keir Starmer.' Kneecap also gave a 'big thank you to the Eavis family' and said 'they stood strong' amid calls for the organisers to drop them from the line-up. A BBC spokesperson said an on-demand version of Kneecap's performance was available on iPlayer. 'We have edited it to ensure the content falls within the limits of artistic expression in line with our editorial guidelines and reflects the performance from Glastonbury's West Holts Stage. As with all content which includes strong language, this is signposted with appropriate warnings.'
Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
Kate Nash says she would love to collaborate with Kneecap
It came after police said on Saturday that they are assessing videos of comments made by the Belfast rap trio, as well as punk duo Bob Vylan, during their performances at the Glastonbury Festival. The group are known for their provocative lyrics and merchandise, as well as their championing of the Irish language and support for Palestine. 'I love Kneecap. I'd love to collaborate. I love collaboration, actually,' Nash told the PA news agency. 'I really, really think collaboration is such an amazing and important part of being an artist, because you just learn every time you collaborate with someone different. 'So I just did a duet with Sprints, because they covered Foundations, and that was really fun.' Nash, 37, added: 'Kneecap would be amazing to collaborate with. My mum's from Dublin and I think that the way they use their political platform is really important.' She continued: 'I don't think English people really understand their (Ireland's) history at all, they just don't know it. 'So I think there's an opportunity to educate people about England and Ireland's history, and sort of being half-English, half-Irish myself I have quite a good understanding of that, but I didn't learn it at school. 'There's so many amazing musicians to collaborate with. I love Amyl And The Sniffers.' Before their performance on the West Holts Stage, several politicians called for Kneecap to be removed from the line-up and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said their performance would not be 'appropriate'. During their set, member Naoise O Caireallain said: 'The Prime Minister of your country, not mine, said he didn't want us to play, so f*** Keir Starmer.' In reference to his bandmate's upcoming court date the rapper, who performs under the name Moglai Bap, said they would 'start a riot outside the courts', before clarifying: 'No riots, just love and support, and support for Palestine.' Bobby Vylan, of rap duo Bob Vylan, had earlier led crowds in chants of 'Free, free Palestine' and 'Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)'. According to reports, Bobby Vylan is called Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, from Ipswich. Robinson-Foster is listed on Companies House as being the director of Ghost Theatre Records, which is operated by Bob Vylan. Sir Keir said the latter chant was 'appalling hate speech' and urged the BBC to explain how the scenes were broadcast. Speaking on the politics of Glastonbury, Nash said: 'What's the history of Glastonbury? It's about anti-corporation, Greenpeace. 'It is ultimately a political festival, and people come here to find togetherness, community, a sense of hope and to watch people play amazing shows, and to have their lives changed, to be inspired. 'I think that we're seeing a lot of really scary things in the world right now, and people want to feel like they can see what they feel on stage being voiced, and I think that politicians need to get a grip.' Asked about artists who say they do not want to be political, she said: 'Certain people, you can't escape the politics of existing in the world. 'If you are a woman and you're like, 'I'm not political', I'm like, 'You are, you are. Everything about your life is political, whether you want it to be or not'. 'I think if you're a very privileged, white, rich man, sure you don't want to be political, or you don't have to be. 'But also, do you even have to comment that you don't want to be? I'm not really sure it helps. 'I think just don't be, then, in a way, if you just want to be a pop band, just be a pop band. 'That's not how I was raised. So it's really difficult for me to understand somebody saying, 'I don't want to be political'.' It came after The 1975 frontman Matty Healy said the band did not want their legacy to be 'one of politics' during their Friday night headline slot. 'I think we don't need more politics, we need more love and friendship,' he said. Nash headlined Glastonbury's Left Field stage on Saturday evening and performed a secret set on the BBC Introducing stage on Sunday. She has released several studio albums and is known for songs including Mouthwash and Foundations, the latter of which peaked at number two in the UK singles chart.
Rhyl Journal
2 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
BBC under pressure amid criticism of ‘death to the IDF' chants at Glastonbury
Rapper Bobby Vylan, of rap punk duo Bob Vylan, on Saturday led crowds on the festival's West Holts Stage in chants of 'Free, free Palestine' and 'Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)'. A member of Belfast rap trio Kneecap suggested fans 'start a riot' at his bandmate's forthcoming court appearance related to a terrorism charge. Responding to the chants from Bob Vylan, the Prime Minister said: 'There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech. '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.' A member of Kneecap said 'f*** Keir Starmer' during their performance after the Prime Minister called for the band not to play at the festival. Avon and Somerset Police said video evidence from the performances would be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation. Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis said Bob Vylan's chants 'very much crossed a line'. '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,' she said in a statement. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said Bob Vylan was 'inciting violence and hatred' and should be arrested and prosecuted. 'By broadcasting his vile hatred, the BBC appear to have also broken the law,' he said. 'I call on the Police to urgently investigate and prosecute the BBC as well for broadcasting this. Our national broadcaster should not be transmitting hateful material designed to incite violence and conflict,' he posted on X. Health Secretary Wes Streeting called it a 'pretty shameless publicity stunt' and said the BBC and Glastonbury have 'questions to answer about how we saw such a spectacle on our screens', speaking to Sky News. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the scenes 'grotesque'. 'Glorifying violence against Jews isn't edgy. The West is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked,' she wrote on X. Shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately said she was 'horrified' and that the BBC should have cut the feed. 'Given the nature of the attacks on Israel, the BBC should not have kept broadcasting that. They should have cut the coverage immediately,' she told Times Radio. Liberal Democrat culture, media and sport spokesman Max Wilkinson said: 'Bob Vylan's chants at Glastonbury yesterday were appalling. Cultural events are always a place for debate, but hate speech, antisemitism and incitements to violence have no place at Glastonbury or anywhere in our society.' Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to the BBC director general about Bob Vylan's performance, a Government spokesperson said. The BBC said it showed a warning during the performance and that viewers would not be able to access it on demand. A spokesperson for the broadcaster said: 'Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive. 'During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language. 'We have no plans to make the performance available on demand.' The Israeli embassy said it was 'deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival'. The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said it would be formally complaining to the BBC over its 'outrageous decision' to broadcast Bob Vylan. 'Our national broadcaster must apologise for its dissemination of this extremist vitriol, and those responsible must be removed from their positions,' a spokesperson said. Bob Vylan, who formed in Ipswich in 2017, have released four albums addressing issues to do with racism, masculinity and class. Bobby Vylan's real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, according to reports. He is listed on Companies House as the director of Ghost Theatre Records, which is operated by Bob Vylan. Kneecap have been in the headlines after member Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence. The group performed after Vylan's set on the West Holts Stage with O hAnnaidh exclaiming 'Glastonbury, I'm a free man' as they took to the stage. In reference to his bandmate's forthcoming court date, Naoise O Caireallain, who performs under the name Moglai Bap, said they would 'start a riot outside the courts', before clarifying: 'No riots, just love and support, and support for Palestine.' In the run-up to the festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset, several politicians called for the group to be removed from the line-up and Sir Keir said their performance would not be 'appropriate'. During Kneecap's set, O hAnnaidh said: 'The prime minister of your country, not mine, said he didn't want us to play, so f*** Keir Starmer.' Kneecap also gave a 'big thank you to the Eavis family' and said 'they stood strong' amid calls for the organisers to drop them from the line-up. A BBC spokesperson said an on-demand version of Kneecap's performance was available on iPlayer. 'We have edited it to ensure the content falls within the limits of artistic expression in line with our editorial guidelines and reflects the performance from Glastonbury's West Holts Stage. As with all content which includes strong language, this is signposted with appropriate warnings.'
