The BBC's broadcast of Glastonbury hate chanting is nothing short of criminal
Another week, another utter disgrace for the BBC when it comes to antisemitism and the safety of Britain's Jewish community.
This time the setting was Glastonbury. The BBC has been broadcasting live from the festival for many years. It employs hundreds of people to cover the event at significant expense to licence-fee payers. It is meant to have systems in place to ensure that racist, offensive content is not broadcast.
So how was it possible on Saturday afternoon that the rap duo Bob Vylan were allowed to broadcast live on the BBC chanting 'death to the IDF' and talking about 'f-ing Zionists'? Why was the live feed not immediately cut? Why did BBC executives allow the racist rant to continue unchecked?
The BBC's own editorial guidelines state the following: 'Material that contains hate speech should not be included in output unless it is justified by the context. Broadcasting hate speech can constitute a criminal offence if it is intended or likely to stir up hatred relating to race, or intended to stir up hatred relating to religious belief'.
So has the BBC committed a criminal offence in broadcasting this hateful, racist material? The police should investigate, as should the BBC's Board, led by Chairman Samir Shah. How much longer can they tolerate the failings of BBC leadership on antisemitism and bias? Director General Tim Davie and his executives have had more than eighteen months to get a grip and yet this weekend's debacle shows the BBC's problems are getting ever worse not better.
It is also time for the government and Ofcom to act. The BBC has repeatedly shown itself unable to get its own house in order on antisemitism, whether that be the racism broadcast live this weekend from Glastonbury, the consistent Jew-hate and bias from reporters on BBC Arabic or the debacle of the Gaza documentary that the corporation was forced to pull because, amongst other things, a payment had been made to the family of a Hamas official.
The BBC's editorial failings on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias are now so numerous, so widespread and so consistent that perhaps I should not be surprised. But to see our national broadcaster allow this racist rant to be aired was stomach-churning.
Many Jews I have spoken to feel the same: a mixture of shock, disgust, sadness and fear. There is disbelief that the BBC gave a platform to those inciting violence against Jews and gleefully telling racist stories.
The BBC has hit a new low. It is, frankly, unforgivable.
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The Guardian
19 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Streeting condemns anti-IDF chants at Glastonbury but says ‘Israel should get its own house in order'
Chants of death to the Israeli military at Glastonbury were 'appalling' and the BBC and the festival have questions to answer, Wes Streeting has said, while adding that Israel needs to 'get its own house in order'. The health secretary said the chanting should not have been broadcast to those watching at home, highlighting that Israelis at a similar music festival were kidnapped, murdered and raped. 'I thought it's appalling, to be honest, and I think the BBC and Glastonbury have got questions to answer about how we saw such a spectacle on our screens,' he told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips on Sky News. 'But I also think it's a pretty shameless publicity stunt, which I don't really want to give too much indulgence to for that reason.' He also had strong words for Israel, which has condemned the chanting. Streeting said what people should be talking about in the context of Israel and Gaza is the humanitarian catastrophe in the territory and the fact that Israeli settlers attacked a Christian village in the West Bank this week. 'All life is sacred. And I find it pretty revolting we've got to a state in this conflict where you're supposed to sort of cheer on one side or the other like it's a football team,' he said. Asked about the Israel embassy's response to the chants at Glastonbury, he said: 'Well, I'd say sort of two things in response to those words from the Israeli embassy. Firstly, I do think that if I take the equivalent of the war in Ukraine, I'm unequivocal about which side of that war I'm on. I want Ukraine to win. Would I be celebrating or chanting for the death of Russian soldiers? No, I want to see an end to the war, and I want to see an end to the conflict. '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. So, you know, I think there's a serious point there by the Israeli embassy I take seriously. I wish they'd take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously.' Police are examining videos of comments made by the acts Bob Vylan and Kneecap at Glastonbury as the festival enters its third day. On Saturday the rapper Bobby Vylan, of the rap punk duo Bob Vylan, led crowds at the festival's West Holts stage in chants of 'Free, free Palestine' and 'Death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]'. Describing himself as a 'violent punk', he said: 'Sometimes we have to get our message across with violence because that's the only language some people speak, unfortunately.' Glastonbury organisers said on Sunday that the act had crossed a line. '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, and a performer's presence here should never be seen as a tacit endorsement of their opinions and beliefs,' the festival said in a statement. 'However, we are appalled by the statements made from the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan yesterday. '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.' Bob Vylan performed before the Irish rap trio Kneecap, who called on fans to show up at Westminster magistrates to support the band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, known as Mo Chara, who was charged with a terrorism offence for holding a Hezbollah flag at a London gig last November. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Ó hAnnaidh told the crowd on Saturday: 'Glastonbury, I'm a free man!' He added: 'If anybody falls down, you've got to pick them up. We've got to keep each other safe.' He thanked the Eavis family, the festival's organisers, for 'holding strong' and allowing their performance to go ahead. Avon and Somerset police said: '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 Israeli embassy said it was 'deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury festival'. A statement on X said: 'Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democracy. But when speech crosses into incitement, hatred, and advocacy of ethnic cleansing, it must be called out – especially when amplified by public figures on prominent platforms. 'Chants such as 'Death to the IDF,' and 'From the river to the sea' are slogans that advocate for the dismantling of the state of Israel and implicitly call for the elimination of Jewish self-determination. 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. 'We call on Glastonbury festival organisers, artists, and public leaders in the UK to denounce this rhetoric and reject of all forms of hatred.' Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative party leader, called the scenes 'grotesque', and said: 'Glorifying violence against Jews isn't edgy. The west is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked.' Asked about the controversy ahead of Kneecap's performance on Wednesday, Emily Eavis said: 'There have been a lot of really heated topics this year, but we remain a platform for many, many artists from all over the world and, you know, everyone is welcome here.'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Albanian burglar with almost 50 convictions wins the right to stay in the UK as 'his crimes weren't extreme enough to "revolt" the public'
An Albanian burglar with nearly 50 convictions has won the right to stay in the UK as 'his crimes were not extreme enough to "revolt" the public'. Zenel Beshi has been dubbed a 'genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat' to the UK by the Home Office, which said he should be deported. But upper immigration tribunal judge Leonie Hirst found his crimes were not of the 'very extreme' type that would cause 'deep public revulsion' - and let him stay. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the ruling was 'out of touch' as Beshi is 'clearly a danger to the British public', The Telegraph reports. 'It's time these judges started to prioritise protecting law-abiding British citizens instead of foreign criminals', he said. Mr Philp added foreign criminals, no matter where their crime was committed, should all be sent back to their country of origin, 'no ifs, no buts'. It comes as Home Secretary Yvette Cooper proposes to change the law to make it harder to allow foreign citizens to stay in the UK on a human rights claim. Her suggested scheme would oblige judges to consider public safety more in such decisions. Beshi came to the UK in August 2020 - three years after he received a six-year prison sentence in Turin, Italy. As well as robbery and false imprisonment, he had been jailed for 44 counts of burglary and theft. But he failed to disclose his previous convictions upon his arrival in Britain. The Albanian applied for a European Economic Area (EEA) residence card, on the grounds he was a spouse of an EEA national. He was granted this, after his application was initially refused and he appealed. While he waited to hear back on this appeal, he applied for leave to remain under the EU Settlement Scheme. The Home Office, though, decided to deport him as a threat to the British public. Beshi appealed, which was upheld by a first tier tribunal, after a psychologist said he did not in fact constitute a 'serious threat' to society. They also said he posed a 'low risk' of reoffending. Ms Cooper appealed this decision - but an upper tribunal has now found Beshi not disclosing his previous convictions is of 'little relevance'. Judge Hirst said the deportation threshold and notions of rehabilitation had been applied correctly. She also lauded the legal arguments behind the decision to allow Beshi to stay as 'detailed, clear and well-structured'. The judge found there was no legal mistake to require overturning the decision - and allowed the criminal to remain. Almost half of Brits have no confidence that the police will show up if their home was burgled, a poll revealed earlier this year. Some 46 per cent of adults said they did not believe a home burglary would be properly investigated, with 49 per cent saying the same for car thefts. When looking at pensioners, with 54 per cent of those aged 65 or older expressing a lack of confidence in officers attending their property. And fears are not unjustified, as police failed to solve 94 per cent of burglary cases in 2023/24, according to Home Office figures. Just 16,912 (six per cent) of 266,215 recorded burglaries resulted in a charge. In nearly three-quarters of cases police officers were unable to even identify a suspect, and a further 15 per cent ran into evidential difficulties after a suspect was identified. Reported burglaries have fallen in the past decade, from around 444,000 in 2013/14 to the more than 266,000 in 2023/24. Meanwhile, 13 per cent of people move house because they cannot bear to stay in their home after it has been burgled. A similar proportion have said they are unable to stand being home alone after their house has been invaded. A Home Office spokesperson has previously said: 'We do not agree with this judgment and are considering options for appeal. 'Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that we will do everything to make sure they are not free on Britain's streets, including removal from the UK at the earliest opportunity.'
South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
Olivia Rodrigo performs The Cure songs with Robert Smith during Glastonbury set
As the 66-year-old indie-goth star arrived on stage on Sunday night, Rodrigo said: 'Glastonbury, would you please welcome Robert Smith, give him a big welcome, come on.' Smith wore a sparkly black shirt and eye shadow, and played a black acoustic guitar as he traded vocals with Rodrigo on the two tracks. At the end of Just Like Heaven, the pair hugged, before Rodrigo said 'give it up for Robert Smith you guys', adding she was 'so honoured to play with him tonight'. The 22-year-old started her set with Obsessed from 2023's Guts album as fireworks exploded around her. The singer shouted 'Glastonbury, what a f****** party' as she performed the song bathed in purple light and wearing a white dress and black boots, playing a cherry red guitar. Towards the end of her set, the Californian singer swapped her white dress for a T-shirt which read 'you know all the words to Just Like Heaven, or do you?', along with a sparkly pair of shorts featuring the Union flag as she played Brutal. The Ballad Of A Homeschooled Girl, one of Rodrigo's best known songs, prompted pogoing from the Worthy Farm crowd, as the singer bounced around singing the song's 'it's social suicide' chorus. As she went to perform at a piano, Rodrigo said: 'How are we doing tonight Glastonbury? I don't think I've ever seen so many people in my life. 'Guys, it's the last night of the festival. Are you ready to have some fun?' She then performed another of her best known songs in Driver's Licence, as parents in the crowd lifted their children on to their shoulders. At one point in the set, Rodrigo had the majority of the crowd hoisting their phone lights above their heads and swaying from side to side. Good 4 U saw white balloons thrown into the energetic crowd, before she finished with Get Him Back! sitting on scaffolding and singing the song through a loudhailer, before shouting 'good night' as fireworks exploded around her. Earlier in the day, Sir Rod Stewart was joined by a trio of veteran superstars during a rousing performance in the tea-time legends slot. He played alongside his former Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood, Simply Red's Mick Hucknall and Scottish singer Lulu. He was also joined by the festival's founder, Sir Michael Eavis, who was wheeled on to the stage by his daughter, organiser Emily Eavis. Hucknall, 65, was welcomed on stage for a rendition of Simply Red hit If You Don't Know Me By Now. Rolling back the years, Sir Rod then performed the Faces' 1971 hit Stay With Me while Rolling Stones star Wood, 78, played guitar. Lulu then made her entrance, wearing an all-white ensemble, to sing Hot Legs alongside Sir Rod and Wood. Bagpipes had signalled the arrival of Sir Rod, who kicked off his afternoon performance with his 1981 single, Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me). 'I'm here, enjoy yourselves ladies and gentleman please, music brings us together, we need music,' he told the crowd. The 80-year-old, who recently cancelled a series of shows while recovering from flu, wore flared trousers, a white shirt and a black jacket, before changing into a green suit. He played songs including Some Guys Have All The Luck, Forever Young, The First Cut Is The Deepest, and Maggie May, which he performed from a runway jutting out into the crowd. Ukrainian flags were shown on a screen behind Sir Rod, who said: 'There's been a lot about the Middle East recently, quite rightly so, but I want to draw your attention to Ukraine in the next song, it's called the Love Train.' The singer also sang I'd Rather Go Blind, which he first performed in the 1970s with the Faces, which he said he had learned from late Fleetwood Mac singer Christine McVie, who the song was dedicated to. During Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? Sir Rod's backing singers kicked footballs into the crowd in reference to the singer's famous Top Of The Pops appearance in 1971. Sir Rod donned a captain's hat to finish with Sailing, while his dancers wore the shirt of Celtic FC, while the back of his own shirt featured the team's name.
