Belfast principal says families 'too frightened' to remain in NI
Some families from areas relatively unaffected by recent riots are still too frightened to remain in Northern Ireland.That is according to a principal from south Belfast who told BBC News NI three families of pupils have left due to fear of the violence.Hilary Cunningham is the principal of Fane Street Primary, one of the most diverse in Northern Ireland.A number of families of pupils from the school were affected by previous riots after an anti-immigration protest in Belfast in 2024.
The Education Minister Paul Givan has said the number of pupils missing school has spiked near to where people rioted for several nights in Ballymena.Givan also told MLAs on Monday that some schoolchildren had attacked the homes of their own classmates.He named two schools, Harryville Primary and St Patrick's College in Ballymena, where he said rates of absence were particularly high.Ms Cunningham told BBC News NI that she felt for schools in Ballymena and that schools often had to "pick up the pieces" for pupils and families."I think it's going to be very, very difficult for them to pick up the pieces, particularly as a number of families are so fearful that they've actually fled, so actually knowing whether those children are even going to come back, what they're going to come back to," she said."Are they going to have a home to come back to? It's a big, big issue for those schools."
Pupils faced 'violence and intimidation'
Fane Street has employed a family support worker to help families, and also paid for a nurture room, so pupils can take time to get extra support if they need it.The school was one of the first in Northern Ireland to be named a School of Sanctuary, which is one that provides significant additional support to pupils, including refugees and others who need a place of safety.Ms Cunningham said some families of her pupils had faced violence and intimidation."Last year we had a family whose front door was burnt, we also had another family who has been intimidated quite recently," she said."Young lads standing outside the front door waiting for them when they come back in, and this is a woman on her own with two children, two young girls.""So it's reassuring them, making sure that they're ok, that they know that not everybody is out to intimidate them, that we support them in any way that we possibly can."
Families leaving NI following riots
Despite the fact that the recent rioting has been concentrated in Ballymena, Portadown and Londonderry Ms Cunningham said some families of her pupils were too frightened to stay in Northern Ireland."We've actually got three families that have gone to other countries because they are so frightened to stay and another little child from nursery who wouldn't come into school because the family were afraid to travel to school," she said."It is very difficult to deal with but we just support them as much as we can."Police say 31 arrests have been made to date in relation to the recent racially-motivated disorder, with 23 people charged with various offences.
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Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Starmer condemns 'appalling hate speech' at Glastonbury - as organiser says anti-IDF chants 'crossed a line'
The prime minister has criticised chants of "death to the IDF" during a Glastonbury performance on Saturday, while festival organiser Emily Eavis said they had "very much crossed a line". Responding on Sunday to rap duo Bob Vylan's set the day before, Sir Keir Starmer said: "There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech." In the same statement, the prime minister repeated his previous argument that the Belfast rap group Kneecap should have been removed from the line-up after one member was charged with a terrorism offence. "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." On Sunday, Ms Eavis, whose father Michael co-founded the festival, posted her response to Bob Vylan's performance. "Their chants very much crossed a line and 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 wrote. She said that while "as a festival, we stand against all forms of war and terrorism - we will always believe in - and actively campaign for - hope, unity, peace and love", adding a performer's comments "should never be seen as a tacit endorsement of their opinions and beliefs". Eavis added: "With almost 4,000 performances at Glastonbury 2025, there will inevitably be artists and speakers appearing on our stages whose views we do not share." The rappers' set was streamed live on the BBC on Saturday, showing one of them shouting the slogan into the mic, with some of the crowd joining in. They also performed in front of a screen that claimed Israel's actions in Gaza amount to "genocide". Posting on Instagram on Sunday, drummer Bobby Vylan doubled down by repeating elements of the chant alongside a picture of himself. The Israeli embassy posted on X in the hours after the set saying it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric". It said the slogan used "advocates for the dismantling of the State of Israel". The post on X added: "When such messages are delivered before tens of thousands of festivalgoers and met with applause, it raises serious concerns about the normalisation of extremist language and the glorification of violence." In a separate post on X on Sunday, Israel's foreign ministry published graphic footage following the attack by Hamas on the Nova festival in Israel on 7 October 2023. The message directly appealed to those at Glastonbury who joined in the chants. "On October 7th, Hamas terrorists murdered hundreds of innocent partygoers at the Nova festival. For those at the Glastonbury festival who need a reality check, let this footage serve as a reminder to what you are supporting." Meanwhile the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said it will be formally complaining to the BBC over its "outrageous decision" to broadcast the performance. Avon and Somerset Police said they are looking at whether a criminal offence was committed. "Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," the force said in a post on social media. Bob Vylan's set may have pushed things too far Bob Vylan, a punk-rap duo known for their politically charged lyrics taking on racism, fascism, police brutality, toxic masculinity, inequality and more, performed on the festival's third biggest stage, West Holts, with a capacity of about 30,000. They played to their own fans but no doubt thousands who had turned out to secure their place for the controversial Irish-language rappers Kneecap who followed. After the Bob Vylan performance was aired live, clips quickly flooded social media - shared by those supporting the band and condemning them. "The BBC didn't cover Kneecap's set at Glastonbury Festival over Free Palestine chants, so Bob Vylan, who BBC covered, stepped in," posted the Celebrities4Palestine account alongside a clip on Instagram, also shared by Bob Vylan. The IDF comments on stage may well have been made regardless. Or did Kneecap's "cancelling" by the BBC, as some people saw it, encourage other acts to speak out even more? Police are investigating both performances. Kneecap's Naoise O Caireallain, who performs under the name Moglai Bap, at one point mentioned "a riot outside the courts" over his bandmate Liam Og O hAnnaidh's (Mo Chara) upcoming second appearance on a terror charge, before clarifying: "No riots, just love and support, and support for Palestine." With its history of activism, Glastonbury has always championed free speech. But it seems Bob Vylan's set may have pushed things too far. It's fair to say that here at Glastonbury, for most of the 200,000 people on site this weekend, it is still all about the music. The majority did not see these sets and many are not even aware of the criticism outside Worthy Farm. Today is the final day of artist performances, with acts including Olivia Rodrigo, Rod Stewart and the Prodigy on the bill. But instead of the magic of the most famous festival in the world, both organisers and the broadcaster are now facing more questions about Bob Vylan and, to a lesser extent, Kneecap, as criticism mounts. Bob Vylan went on stage just ahead of a performance by Kneecap, the Irish rap band that the prime minister and others called to be removed from the Glastonbury and other festival line-ups over alleged on-stage endorsements of terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah. Ultimately, the BBC decided not to broadcast Kneecap's set live, but have since made it available to watch on catch-up on iPlayer. One of its members, Liam Og O hAnnaidh, was charged with a terror offence in May after being accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig. His bandmate Naoise O Caireallain told Glastonbury crowds on Saturday they should "start a riot outside the courts", before clarifying: "No riots just love and support, and support for Palestine." O hAnnaidh - also known as Mo Chara - wore a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf for their set and told fans he was a "free man". Questions over why BBC broadcast chants The government's culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to BBC boss Tim Davie for an "urgent explanation" about what steps were taken around the Bob Vylan set. Speaking to Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips on behalf of the government, Health Secretary Wes Streeting described the chant as "appalling" and a "shameless publicity stunt". "The fact that we saw that chant at a music festival - when there were Israelis at a similar music festival who were kidnapped, murdered, raped, and in some cases still held captive," he said in reference to the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack at the Nova music festival. He added that while "there's no justification for inciting violence against Israelis… the way in which Israel's conducting this war has made it extremely difficult for Israel's allies around the world to stand by and justify". "I'd also say to the Israeli embassy, get your own house in order, in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," he told Phillips. Meanwhile, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch reposted a clip of the Bob Vylan set describing it as "grotesque". "Violence against Jews isn't edgy. The West is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked," she said on X. Lucy McMullin, who was in the crowd for Bob Vylan, told Sky News: "When there's children and civilians being murdered and starved, then I think it's important that people are speaking out on these issues. "However, inciting more death and violence is not the way to do it." A BBC spokesperson confirmed the Bob Vylan stream will not be made available to watch on its iPlayer. "Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive," their statement said. "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."
Sky News
2 hours ago
- Sky News
Glastonbury's Emily Eavis says anti-IDF chants 'crossed a line' as Sir Keir Starmer condemns 'appalling hate speech'
The prime minister has criticised chants of "death to the IDF" during a Glastonbury performance on Saturday, while festival organiser Emily Eavis said they had "very much crossed a line". Responding on Sunday to rap duo Bob Vylan's set the day before, Sir Keir Starmer said: "There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech." In the same statement, the prime minister repeated his previous argument that the Belfast rap group Kneecap should have been removed from the line-up after one member was charged with a terrorism offence. "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." On Sunday, Ms Eavis, whose father Michael co-founded the festival, posted her response to Bob Vylan's performance. "Their chants very much crossed a line and 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 wrote. She said that while "as a festival, we stand against all forms of war and terrorism - we will always believe in - and actively campaign for - hope, unity, peace and love", adding a performer's comments "should never be seen as a tacit endorsement of their opinions and beliefs". Eavis added: "With almost 4,000 performances at Glastonbury 2025, there will inevitably be artists and speakers appearing on our stages whose views we do not share." The rappers' set was streamed live on the BBC on Saturday, showing one of them shouting the slogan into the mic, with some of the crowd joining in. They also performed in front of a screen that claimed Israel's actions in Gaza amount to "genocide". Posting on Instagram on Sunday, drummer Bobby Vylan doubled down by repeating elements of the chant alongside a picture of himself. The Israeli embassy posted on X in the hours after the set saying it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric". It said the slogan used "advocates for the dismantling of the State of Israel". The post on X added: "When such messages are delivered before tens of thousands of festivalgoers and met with applause, it raises serious concerns about the normalisation of extremist language and the glorification of violence." In a separate post on X on Sunday, Israel's foreign ministry published graphic footage following the attack by Hamas on the Nova festival in Israel on 7 October 2023. The message directly appealed to those at Glastonbury who joined in the chants. "On October 7th, Hamas terrorists murdered hundreds of innocent partygoers at the Nova festival. For those at the Glastonbury festival who need a reality check, let this footage serve as a reminder to what you are supporting." Meanwhile the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said it will be formally complaining to the BBC over its "outrageous decision" to broadcast the performance. Avon and Somerset Police said they are looking at whether a criminal offence was committed. "Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," the force said in a post on social media. Bob Vylan's set may have pushed things too far Bob Vylan, a punk-rap duo known for their politically charged lyrics taking on racism, fascism, police brutality, toxic masculinity, inequality and more, performed on the festival's third biggest stage, West Holts, with a capacity of about 30,000. They played to their own fans but no doubt thousands who had turned out to secure their place for the controversial Irish-language rappers Kneecap who followed. After the Bob Vylan performance was aired live, clips quickly flooded social media - shared by those supporting the band and condemning them. "The BBC didn't cover Kneecap's set at Glastonbury Festival over Free Palestine chants, so Bob Vylan, who BBC covered, stepped in," posted the Celebrities4Palestine account alongside a clip on Instagram, also shared by Bob Vylan. The IDF comments on stage may well have been made regardless. Or did Kneecap's "cancelling" by the BBC, as some people saw it, encourage other acts to speak out even more? Police are investigating both performances. Kneecap's Naoise O Caireallain, who performs under the name Moglai Bap, at one point mentioned "a riot outside the courts" over his bandmate Liam Og O hAnnaidh's (Mo Chara) upcoming second appearance on a terror charge, before clarifying: "No riots, just love and support, and support for Palestine." With its history of activism, Glastonbury has always championed free speech. But it seems Bob Vylan's set may have pushed things too far. It's fair to say that here at Glastonbury, for most of the 200,000 people on site this weekend, it is still all about the music. The majority did not see these sets and many are not even aware of the criticism outside Worthy Farm. Today is the final day of artist performances, with acts including Olivia Rodrigo, Rod Stewart and the Prodigy on the bill. But instead of the magic of the most famous festival in the world, both organisers and the broadcaster are now facing more questions about Bob Vylan and, to a lesser extent, Kneecap, as criticism mounts. Bob Vylan went on stage just ahead of a performance by Kneecap, the Irish rap band that the prime minister and others called to be removed from the Glastonbury and other festival line-ups over alleged on-stage endorsements of terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah. Ultimately, the BBC decided not to broadcast Kneecap's set live, but have since made it available to watch on catch-up on iPlayer. One of its members, Liam Og O hAnnaidh, was charged with a terror offence in May after being accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig. His bandmate Naoise O Caireallain told Glastonbury crowds on Saturday they should "start a riot outside the courts", before clarifying: "No riots just love and support, and support for Palestine." O hAnnaidh - also known as Mo Chara - wore a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf for their set and told fans he was a "free man". Questions over why BBC broadcast chants The government's culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to BBC boss Tim Davie for an "urgent explanation" about what steps were taken around the Bob Vylan set. Speaking to Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips on behalf of the government, Health Secretary Wes Streeting described the chant as "appalling" and a "shameless publicity stunt". "The fact that we saw that chant at a music festival - when there were Israelis at a similar music festival who were kidnapped, murdered, raped, and in some cases still held captive," he said in reference to the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack at the Nova music festival. He added that while "there's no justification for inciting violence against Israelis… the way in which Israel's conducting this war has made it extremely difficult for Israel's allies around the world to stand by and justify". "I'd also say to the Israeli embassy, get your own house in order, in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," he told Phillips. Meanwhile, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch reposted a clip of the Bob Vylan set describing it as "grotesque". "Violence against Jews isn't edgy. The West is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked," she said on X. Lucy McMullin, who was in the crowd for Bob Vylan, told Sky News: "When there's children and civilians being murdered and starved, then I think it's important that people are speaking out on these issues. "However, inciting more death and violence is not the way to do it." A BBC spokesperson confirmed the Bob Vylan stream will not be made available to watch on its iPlayer. "Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive," their statement said. "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."
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Another tier of justice at Glastonbury
Whipping up the mob with language designed to encourage violence is unlawful. It is the reason why Lucy Connolly, a child minder and mother, is serving a lengthy jail term for a tweet she posted after the Southport murders last year. Mrs Connolly accepted her guilt and was given what many consider an excessively harsh sentence. So what are we to make of the goings on at Glastonbury at the weekend? A hitherto (and deservedly) obscure duo called Bob Vylan called for 'death' to the Israeli military. At the very least this is the sort of hate speech that virtually guarantees a visit from the police if done online but not, it seems, in front of thousands of festival-goers. Is it surprising that people believe there is a two-tier legal system – a phrase dismissed by Lord Hermer, the Attorney General last week as 'disgusting' – when they see the law applied in such a blatantly biased way? Perhaps Lord Hermer can ensure Bob Vylan are properly investigated by the police and sent to prison if convicted. The other 'band' that used Glastonbury as a platform for their bone-headed world view was, inevitably, Kneecap, the Northern Irish outfit named after a brutal form of IRA retributive violence. Their leader is already facing a court hearing for allegedly encouraging terrorism by declaring support for Hamas and Hezbollah, both proscribed organisations. The country will be watching very closely to see what happens in both of these cases. Their outcomes will be measured against the punishment imposed on Mrs Connolly. The increasingly preposterous Lord Hermer assures us that there is no two-tier justice. We shall see.
