Wes Streeting Slams BBC And Glastonbury Over 'Appalling' Bob Vylan 'Death To The IDF' Chant
Wes Streeting has said the BBC and Glastonbury 'have questions to answer' after punk duo Bob Vylan led the crowd at the festival in chants of 'death to the IDF (Israel Defence Force)'.
The health secretary said the chants were 'appalling' and said the corporation must explain how they were streamed live on iPlayer.
Avon and Somerset Police have launched an investigation into the performances of Bob Vylan, and Irish rappers Kneecap, to see 'whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation'.
Asked for his views on Sky News this morning, Streeting said: 'I thought it was appalling to be honest and I think the BBC and Glastonbury have got questions to answer on how we saw such a spectacle on our screens.
'I also think it was a pretty shameless publicity stunt that I don't want to give too much indulgence to for that reason.
'What we should be talking about this week in the context of Israel and Gaza is the fact that Israeli settler terrorists attacks a Christian village this week, setting it on fire. The fact that I met the Red Cross and Red Crescent this week talking about humanitarian catastrophe today, but the risk of the spread of disease in the summer and famine in the autumn.
'And indeed 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.
'So I just say that whether it's a Palestinian or an Israeli, whether it's a Christian, a Jew or a Muslim, all life is precious, all life is sacred, and I find it pretty revolting we've got to a stage in this conflict where you're supposed to cheer on one side or the other like it's a football team.'
A spokesperson for the BBC 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.'
Glastonbury Organiser Says Those Who Don't Agree With Festival's Politics 'Can Go Elsewhere'
11 Must-See Performances If You're Watching Glastonbury From Home This Year
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wall Street Journal
29 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
U.S. Embassy in Israel Eases Restrictions
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem will resume regular consular activities Wednesday and has lifted orders for government employees and their families to shelter in place, following the cease-fire between Israel and Iran. The embassy had earlier limited services due to the conflict. The embassy said travel outside major cities is still restricted for government staff and their families, except for transit between them and to and from some departure points.
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Far-left actor John Cusack says Iran 'should get' nukes to protect Middle East from US and Israel
Anti-Israel and anti-Trump actor John Cusack expressed hope last Friday that Iran will get a nuclear weapon. In a post shared to X, the actor said Iran should get a nuclear weapon so that it can deter the U.S. and Israel's aggression in the Middle East. "Iran will surely rush to get a nuclear weapon- and they should get one," he wrote, adding, "it's the only way to deter US and Israel from bombing every country in Middle East." Cusack published his post almost a week after President Donald Trump ordered U.S. military strikes on three major Iranian facilities believed to be developing nuclear weapons. Long-range B-2 stealth bomber aircraft dropped 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on the locations on June 21 in an attack that Trump called "a spectacular military success." Cusack has been harshly critical of Israel's actions in its war in Gaza and war with Iran on social media. Prior to posting support for Iran getting nukes, he appeared to suggest that U.S. support for Israel meant the country was supporting a "genocidal" regime. He wrote, "Blind allegiance for Israel is alliance to a genocidal regeme[sic] - it's a nation state - run [by] a murderous gangster - not some fixed star." Earlier, he posted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been killing innocent children, and he accused the U.S. of being complicit. The actor also condemned both countries for recent strikes in Lebanon. "Isreal [sic] bombs Lebanon! [W]ell they can't have any days when they are not illegally bombing someone while US grovels," he wrote. Additionally, Cusack posted that democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani winning the New York City mayoral Democratic primary was a "f--- you to billionaires, dem establishment, and the genocide in Gaza - the bombing of Iran." And in a post from last Wednesday, Cusack accused Israeli soldiers of murdering innocent Palestinians seeking aid and blasted Democratic Party figures for not speaking out about it. "The fact that so many in the dem party will not speak out and work every day to stop this genocide - Should haunt them for the rest of their lives - and end their political careers," he wrote in part.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Ja Rule Roasts Longtime Enemy 50 Cent Over Concert Video: ‘Ain't Nobody Coming to See You'
Ja Rule clowned his longtime foe 50 Cent after a video circulated allegedly showing a low concert turnout for the G-Unit leader. On Monday (June 30), Ja hopped on X to respond to a fan who had antagonized the rapper by showing that one of 50 Cent's UK tour dates is entirely sold out. The Final Lap tour date was part of a special 2-for-1 offer the G-Unit leader offered in London. Ja clowned him for even having such an offer, which prompted the fan to post a screenshot of the sold-out date. More from Billboard Here's Why Ja Rule Believes the Internet Would've Changed the Course of His Feud With 50 Cent Gavin Adcock Blasts Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' During Concert Rant: 'That S-t Ain't Country Music' Chris Brown Champions T-Pain as 'One of the GOATs' & a 'Pioneer' in Music Following Drake Spat 'You sure bout that???' Ja wrote alongside a video of a crowd that didn't fill the whole floor. 'Ain't nobody coming to see you Otis… I mean Curtis.' When reached by Billboard, a rep for 50 Cent said of the video: 'Like all of Jackson's other tour dates, this show was completely sold out.' Ja's trolling should come as no surprise considering he and 50 Cent have been at odds for years. Most recently, 50 claimed that he bought tickets to one of Ja's shows to make sure seats would be left empty. 'I did [buy Ja Rule's tickets]. They were cheap tickets,' he told Big Boy back in December. 'The tickets were very affordable. They were on StubHub. I bought the first four rows.' He added: 'I looked at it and said, 'I just want you to feel like you gotta reach the people, four or five rows back…It wasn't that big of a sacrifice. I've bought things that mean less to me. That was fun, watching the show and seeing the spaces are empty because they were reserved for someone else.' Check out the clip below. UPDATE: This article was updated with a quote from 50 Cent's team. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
