Police probe UK bands for ‘hate speech' during Glastonbury set
Police have put UK bands Bob Vylan and Kneecap on notice following their controversial performances at the Glastonbury festival on Saturday.
Avon and Somerset Police are examining video footage from the famed music festival to determine if criminal offences were committed when bands Bob Vylan and Kneecap took to the stage.
The investigation was sparked after British punk duo Bob Vylan led festival-goers in chanting 'free, free Palestine' and 'death, death to the IDF' – referencing the Israel Defense Forces – to the packed-out crowd, many of whom were waving Palestinian flags.
Irish rap trio Kneecap took to the West Holts Stage after Bob Vylan and followed suit, encouraging concertgoers to chant 'free Palestine' during their set.
While onstage, band member Naoise O Caireallain, who performs as Moglai Bap, also slammed UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer as their fans waved banners and wore face paint to support the band.
'The Prime Minister of your country, not mine, said he didn't want us to play, so f**k Keir Starmer,' he told the crowd.
The performance came just one after before JJ O Dochartaigh, aka DJ Próvaí, was seen wearing an anti-Israel campaign group 'Palestine Action' T-shirt in a social media post.
The stage incidents have since prompted police to review video evidence from both performances to assess whether to proceed with criminal investigations.
'We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon,' Avon and Somerset Police tweeted on X.
'Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation.'
The performances have also drawn criticism from the UK government, with a spokesperson saying in a statement, 'We strongly condemn the threatening comments made by Bob Vylan at Glastonbury.'
Social media has also exploded with outrage over the bands' controversial appearances, with US rapper Azealia Banks among the voices condemning the performances.
'That is actually crazy. To allow an artist to incite a mob and shout death upon anyone at a major music festival is CRAZZZZYYYY,' she tweeted on X. 'And like how does he think that's going to accomplish anything? Wooooow the UK is losing its mind.'
'There's nothing worse than artists who lose their sense of subjectivity. The art of 'doing everything to express what I feel' should be a matter for therapy, not for performance,' another echoed.
'Way to turn a music festival into hate festival. So sad and crazy,' another commented.
While some X users argued that the bands were simply exercising their 'freedom of speech', their comments were mostly drowned out.
'This is NOT free speech. This IS HATE SPEECH! Absolutely disgusting that this allowed,' one tweeted, with another noting, 'I remember when music festivals were about coming together around music and unity with fellow humans. I guess this one is a Nazi death rally … glad I'm too old for this.'
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Britain's prime minister has led criticism of chants at Glastonbury for "death" to the Israeli military as the BBC faces pressure to explain why it kept broadcasting. 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, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there was "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 Instagram. 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". 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. 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 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. with PA Britain's prime minister has led criticism of chants at Glastonbury for "death" to the Israeli military as the BBC faces pressure to explain why it kept broadcasting. 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, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there was "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 Instagram. 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". 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. 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 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. with PA Britain's prime minister has led criticism of chants at Glastonbury for "death" to the Israeli military as the BBC faces pressure to explain why it kept broadcasting. 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, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there was "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. 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