Glastonbury festival BBC livestream: Outrage as ‘death to IDF' chant airs, Bob Vylan, Kneecap investigated
British authorities have issued a strong condemnation after rap punk duo Bob Vylan led the crowd in chants at the Glastonbury Festival calling for 'free, free Palestine' and 'death, death to the IDF' during a set broadcast live by the BBC.
The performance, which took place on the West Holts Stage just ahead of Belfast rap trio Kneecap, prompted the government to describe the comments as unacceptable. A BBC spokesperson stated that some of the remarks were 'deeply offensive,' with a warning about 'very strong and discriminatory language' displayed on screen. The broadcaster confirmed the set would not be available for replay on BBC iPlayer.
Police have announced they are reviewing video footage of both Bob Vylan's and Kneecap's performances to determine if any laws were broken.
A statement from Glastonbury Festival said it 'does not condone hate speech or incitement to violence of any kind from its performers.'
Following the incident, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy contacted the BBC director general to request an urgent explanation regarding the broadcaster's due diligence before airing the act. The government also expressed approval of the decision not to re-broadcast the performance.
Loading Instagram Post
Kneecap, who performed after Bob Vylan, have been in the spotlight recently after band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh (Mo Chara) was charged with a terrorism offence for allegedly displaying the flag of banned group Hezbollah at a previous concert—a charge he denies.
Kneecap's Saturday set, watched by thousands, included expletive-laden chants directed at UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who had previously described their festival appearance as 'not appropriate.' Ó hAnnaidh is currently on bail following a recent court hearing.
Avon and Somerset Police confirmed they are assessing video evidence from both acts to decide whether a criminal investigation is warranted.
'Glastonbury, I'm a free man,' Mo Chara said after appearing on stage.
'The prime minister of your country - not mine - said he didn't want us to play, so f*** Keir Starmer,' Mo Chara told the crowd, wearing the keffiyeh scarf associated with Palestinians.
At least 30,000 people, hundreds of them with Palestinian flags, crammed into the West Holts stage in blazing sunshine to watch the trio, causing organisers to close the area.
After opening their set with Better Way to Live, which mixes English and Irish, another of the group's members - M?gla? Bap, otherwise known as Naoise ? Caireall?in - said Mo Chara would be back in court for a 'trumped up terrorism charge'.
Mo Chara told the crowd the situation over the lawsuit was stressful but it was minimal compared to what the Palestinians were going through every day.
Later in the set, Mo Chara accused Israel of committing war crimes, saying, 'There's no hiding it.'
Irwin Kelly, 40, said the trio got the crowd really involved in the set.
'Obviously it had a bit of controversy surrounding it,' he said.
'But it's art, it's performance.'
The Israeli embassy in the United Kingdom earlier said it was 'deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival'.
It did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Kneecap's statements.
Access to the area around the West Holts Stage was closed about 45 minutes before Kneecap's performance after groups of fans arrived to form a sea of Irish and Palestinian flags.
Starmer told the Sun newspaper this month it was 'not appropriate' for Kneecap to appear at the famed music festival in the southwest of England.
Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch had said the public broadcaster BBC, which livestreams the festival, should not show Kneecap, and 30 music industry bosses asked organisers to pull the band from the line-up, according to a letter leaked by DJ Toddla T, cited by the Guardian newspaper.
In response, more than 100 musicians have signed a public letter in support of the group.
The BBC said on Saturday Kneecap's set would not be live-streamed but said the performance is likely to be made available on-demand later.
Kneecap manager Dan Lambert told Reuters the group had expected calls for the performance to be cancelled.
During the hour-long set, Kneecap thanked organisers Michael and Emily Eavis for not bowing to the pressure.
Kneecap, whose third member has the stage name DJ Pr?va?, has said they do not support Hamas or Hezbollah.
Mo Chara said on Friday the group were 'playing characters' on stage, and it was up to the audience to interpret their messages.
The performance followed months of debate over the band's inclusion, after frontman Liam O'Hanna (stage name Mo Chara) was charged with a terrorism offence for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag and making supportive remarks about Hamas and Hezbollah at a London concert last year.
Both groups are banned in the UK, and expressing support for them is an offence. O'Hanna, who appeared in court earlier this month, has denied the charge and described his legal troubles as minimal compared to the suffering of Palestinians.
On stage, O'Hanna wore his trademark keffiyeh and gave a 'shout out' to the Palestine Action Group, which has also recently been banned under anti-terror laws. Fellow band member DJ Provai wore a t-shirt dedicated to the campaign group.
Kneecap's set was just one highlight of a festival that also saw surprise performances from Britpop legends Pulp and Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi, as well as headline acts including Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
UK govt condemns 'death to the IDF' chants at Glastonbury
A British punk-rap group faced growing criticism on Sunday for making anti-Israel remarks at the Glastonbury music festival that have sparked a police inquiry. Bob Vylan led crowds in chants of "Death, death to the IDF", a reference to the acronym for the Israeli military, during their set on Saturday. British police officers are also examining comments by the Irish rap trio Kneecap, whose members have likewise been highly critical of Israel and its military campaign against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. One of Kneecap's members wore a T-shirt dedicated to the Palestine Action Group, which is about to be banned under UK terror laws. The UK government has "strongly condemned" Bob Vylan's chants, which festival organisers said had "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," the festival said in a statement. Avon and Somerset police said Saturday that video evidence would be assessed by officers "to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation". - 'Life is sacred' - The chants about Israel's military, condemned by the Israeli embassy in London, were led by Bob Vylan's frontman Bobby Vylan. They were broadcast live on the BBC, which airs coverage of Britain's most popular music festival. "I thought it's appalling, to be honest," Wes Streeting, the Labour's government's health secretary, said of the chants, adding that "all life is sacred". "I think the BBC and Glastonbury have got questions to answer about how we saw such a spectacle on our screens," he told Sky News. The Israel embassy said in a statement late Saturday that "it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival". But Streeting also took aim at the embassy, telling it to "get your own house in order". "I think there's a serious point there by the Israeli embassy. I wish they'd take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously," he said, citing Israeli settler violence in the West Bank. A spokesperson for the BBC said Vylan's comments were "deeply offensive" and the broadcaster had "no plans" to make the performance available on its on-demand service. Festival-goer Joe McCabe, 31, told AFP that while he did not necessarily agree with Vylan's statement, "I certainly think the message of questioning what's going on there (in Gaza) is right." - 'A joke' - Kneecap, which has made headlines in recent months with its pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel stance, also led crowds in chanting abuse against UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Starmer and other politicians had said the band should not perform after its member Liam O'Hanna, known by his stage name Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence. He appeared in court this month accused of having displayed a Hezbollah flag while saying "Up Hamas, Up Hezbollah" after a video resurfaced of a London concert last year. The Iran-backed Lebanese force Hezbollah and the Palestinian militant group Hamas are banned in the UK, and it is an offence to express support for them. O'Hanna has denied the charge and told the Guardian newspaper in an interview published Friday that "it was a joke -- we're playing characters". Kneecap regularly lead crowds in chants of "Free Palestine" during its concerts, and fans revere them for their anti-establishment stance and criticism of British imperialism, while detractors call them extremists. The group apologised this year after a 2023 video emerged appearing to show one singer calling for the death of British Conservative lawmakers. Israel began its offensive against Hamas in the Palestinian territory of Gaza after the militants launched an attack that resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 56,412 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers these figures to be reliable.
The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Police review rapper's Glastonbury anti-Israel comments
British police are examining videos of a band that led chants of "death to the IDF" or Israel Defense Forces at the Glastonbury Festival. Rapper Bobby Vylan, of rap punk duo Bob Vylan, led crowds attending the festival in chants of "free, free Palestine" and "death, death to the IDF" on Saturday. Avon and Somerset Police said video evidence would be assessed by officers "to determine whether any offenses may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation." The Israeli Embassy to the UK said on social media it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival." Health Secretary Wes Streeting on Sunday condemned the band's actions as "appalling". He told Sky News the BBC and festival organisers had to answer questions about how the comments were broadcast live to millions. The government said Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to the BBC director general about Bob Vylan's performance. The BBC said it issued a warning on screen about "very strong and discriminatory language" during the live stream. Glastonbury is Britain's biggest summer music festival and draws some 200,000 music fans each year to Worthy Farm in southwest England. Almost 4000 acts perform on 120 stages. Festival organisers said on Instagram that 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." "With almost 4000 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," it said. Saturday's festival lineup also included Irish-language rap group Kneecap, which gave an impassioned performance for tens of thousands of fans despite criticism by British politicians and a terror charge for one of the trio. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, has been charged under the Terrorism Act with supporting a proscribed organisation for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a concert in London in November. The rapper, who was charged under the anglicized version of his name, Liam O'Hanna, is on unconditional bail before a further court hearing in August. The group has faced criticism for lyrics laden with expletives and drug references, and for political statements, especially since videos emerged allegedly showing the band shouting "up Hamas, up Hezbollah" and calling on people to kill politicians. On Saturday, band members led the audience in chants of "Free Palestine" and "Free Mo Chara". They also aimed an expletive-laden chant at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has said he didn't think it was "appropriate" for Kneecap to play Glastonbury. with PA British police are examining videos of a band that led chants of "death to the IDF" or Israel Defense Forces at the Glastonbury Festival. Rapper Bobby Vylan, of rap punk duo Bob Vylan, led crowds attending the festival in chants of "free, free Palestine" and "death, death to the IDF" on Saturday. Avon and Somerset Police said video evidence would be assessed by officers "to determine whether any offenses may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation." The Israeli Embassy to the UK said on social media it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival." Health Secretary Wes Streeting on Sunday condemned the band's actions as "appalling". He told Sky News the BBC and festival organisers had to answer questions about how the comments were broadcast live to millions. The government said Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to the BBC director general about Bob Vylan's performance. The BBC said it issued a warning on screen about "very strong and discriminatory language" during the live stream. Glastonbury is Britain's biggest summer music festival and draws some 200,000 music fans each year to Worthy Farm in southwest England. Almost 4000 acts perform on 120 stages. Festival organisers said on Instagram that 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." "With almost 4000 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," it said. Saturday's festival lineup also included Irish-language rap group Kneecap, which gave an impassioned performance for tens of thousands of fans despite criticism by British politicians and a terror charge for one of the trio. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, has been charged under the Terrorism Act with supporting a proscribed organisation for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a concert in London in November. The rapper, who was charged under the anglicized version of his name, Liam O'Hanna, is on unconditional bail before a further court hearing in August. The group has faced criticism for lyrics laden with expletives and drug references, and for political statements, especially since videos emerged allegedly showing the band shouting "up Hamas, up Hezbollah" and calling on people to kill politicians. On Saturday, band members led the audience in chants of "Free Palestine" and "Free Mo Chara". They also aimed an expletive-laden chant at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has said he didn't think it was "appropriate" for Kneecap to play Glastonbury. with PA British police are examining videos of a band that led chants of "death to the IDF" or Israel Defense Forces at the Glastonbury Festival. Rapper Bobby Vylan, of rap punk duo Bob Vylan, led crowds attending the festival in chants of "free, free Palestine" and "death, death to the IDF" on Saturday. Avon and Somerset Police said video evidence would be assessed by officers "to determine whether any offenses may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation." The Israeli Embassy to the UK said on social media it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival." Health Secretary Wes Streeting on Sunday condemned the band's actions as "appalling". He told Sky News the BBC and festival organisers had to answer questions about how the comments were broadcast live to millions. The government said Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to the BBC director general about Bob Vylan's performance. The BBC said it issued a warning on screen about "very strong and discriminatory language" during the live stream. Glastonbury is Britain's biggest summer music festival and draws some 200,000 music fans each year to Worthy Farm in southwest England. Almost 4000 acts perform on 120 stages. Festival organisers said on Instagram that 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." "With almost 4000 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," it said. Saturday's festival lineup also included Irish-language rap group Kneecap, which gave an impassioned performance for tens of thousands of fans despite criticism by British politicians and a terror charge for one of the trio. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, has been charged under the Terrorism Act with supporting a proscribed organisation for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a concert in London in November. The rapper, who was charged under the anglicized version of his name, Liam O'Hanna, is on unconditional bail before a further court hearing in August. The group has faced criticism for lyrics laden with expletives and drug references, and for political statements, especially since videos emerged allegedly showing the band shouting "up Hamas, up Hezbollah" and calling on people to kill politicians. On Saturday, band members led the audience in chants of "Free Palestine" and "Free Mo Chara". They also aimed an expletive-laden chant at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has said he didn't think it was "appropriate" for Kneecap to play Glastonbury. with PA British police are examining videos of a band that led chants of "death to the IDF" or Israel Defense Forces at the Glastonbury Festival. Rapper Bobby Vylan, of rap punk duo Bob Vylan, led crowds attending the festival in chants of "free, free Palestine" and "death, death to the IDF" on Saturday. Avon and Somerset Police said video evidence would be assessed by officers "to determine whether any offenses may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation." The Israeli Embassy to the UK said on social media it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival." Health Secretary Wes Streeting on Sunday condemned the band's actions as "appalling". He told Sky News the BBC and festival organisers had to answer questions about how the comments were broadcast live to millions. The government said Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to the BBC director general about Bob Vylan's performance. The BBC said it issued a warning on screen about "very strong and discriminatory language" during the live stream. Glastonbury is Britain's biggest summer music festival and draws some 200,000 music fans each year to Worthy Farm in southwest England. Almost 4000 acts perform on 120 stages. Festival organisers said on Instagram that 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." "With almost 4000 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," it said. Saturday's festival lineup also included Irish-language rap group Kneecap, which gave an impassioned performance for tens of thousands of fans despite criticism by British politicians and a terror charge for one of the trio. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, has been charged under the Terrorism Act with supporting a proscribed organisation for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a concert in London in November. The rapper, who was charged under the anglicized version of his name, Liam O'Hanna, is on unconditional bail before a further court hearing in August. The group has faced criticism for lyrics laden with expletives and drug references, and for political statements, especially since videos emerged allegedly showing the band shouting "up Hamas, up Hezbollah" and calling on people to kill politicians. On Saturday, band members led the audience in chants of "Free Palestine" and "Free Mo Chara". They also aimed an expletive-laden chant at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has said he didn't think it was "appropriate" for Kneecap to play Glastonbury. with PA
The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Hong Kong's last active pro-democracy group to disband
Hong Kong's League of Social Democrats is disbanding amid "immense political pressure" from a five year-long national security crackdown, leaving the China-ruled city with no formal pro-democracy opposition presence. The LSD becomes the third major opposition party to shutter in Hong Kong in the past two years. Co-founded in 2006 by former lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung as a radical wing of the pro-democracy camp, the LSD is the last group in Hong Kong to stage small protests this year. Mass public gatherings and marches spearheaded by political and civil society groups had been common in Hong Kong until 2020, but the threat of prosecution has largely shut down organised protests since. China imposed a national security law on the former British colony in 2020, punishing offences like subversion with possible life imprisonment following mass pro-democracy protests in 2019. A second set of laws, known as Article 23, was passed in 2024 by the city's pro-Beijing legislature covering crimes such as sedition and treason. Current chair Chan Po-ying said the group had been "left with no choice" and after considering the safety of party members had decided to shutdown. Chan declined to specify what pressures they had faced. "We have endured hardships of internal disputes and the near total imprisonment of our leadership while witnessing the erosion of civil society, the fading of grassroots voices, the omnipresence of red lines and the draconian suppression of dissent," Chan told reporters. In February, the Democratic Party, the city's largest and most popular opposition party, announced it would disband. Several senior members told Reuters they had been warned by Beijing that a failure to do so would mean serious consequences including possible arrests. Earlier this month, China's top official on Hong Kong affairs, Xia Baolong, stressed national security work must continue as hostile forces were still interfering in the city. "We must clearly see that the anti-China and Hong Kong chaos elements are still ruthless and are renewing various forms of soft resistance," Xia said in a speech in Hong Kong. The League of Social Democrats is one of Hong Kong's smaller pro-democracy groups known for its more aggressive tactics and street protests in its advocacy of universal suffrage and grassroots causes including a universal pension scheme. Chan told reporters the party had no assets to divest and no funds left after several of its bank accounts were shut down in 2023. While never as popular as the more moderate Democratic Party and Civic Party, it gained three seats in a 2008 legislative election - its best showing. The LSD's founder Leung, 69, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit subversion in 2021 in the landmark '47 Democrats' case. He is currently serving a sentence of six years and nine months in prison. Hong Kong's League of Social Democrats is disbanding amid "immense political pressure" from a five year-long national security crackdown, leaving the China-ruled city with no formal pro-democracy opposition presence. The LSD becomes the third major opposition party to shutter in Hong Kong in the past two years. Co-founded in 2006 by former lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung as a radical wing of the pro-democracy camp, the LSD is the last group in Hong Kong to stage small protests this year. Mass public gatherings and marches spearheaded by political and civil society groups had been common in Hong Kong until 2020, but the threat of prosecution has largely shut down organised protests since. China imposed a national security law on the former British colony in 2020, punishing offences like subversion with possible life imprisonment following mass pro-democracy protests in 2019. A second set of laws, known as Article 23, was passed in 2024 by the city's pro-Beijing legislature covering crimes such as sedition and treason. Current chair Chan Po-ying said the group had been "left with no choice" and after considering the safety of party members had decided to shutdown. Chan declined to specify what pressures they had faced. "We have endured hardships of internal disputes and the near total imprisonment of our leadership while witnessing the erosion of civil society, the fading of grassroots voices, the omnipresence of red lines and the draconian suppression of dissent," Chan told reporters. In February, the Democratic Party, the city's largest and most popular opposition party, announced it would disband. Several senior members told Reuters they had been warned by Beijing that a failure to do so would mean serious consequences including possible arrests. Earlier this month, China's top official on Hong Kong affairs, Xia Baolong, stressed national security work must continue as hostile forces were still interfering in the city. "We must clearly see that the anti-China and Hong Kong chaos elements are still ruthless and are renewing various forms of soft resistance," Xia said in a speech in Hong Kong. The League of Social Democrats is one of Hong Kong's smaller pro-democracy groups known for its more aggressive tactics and street protests in its advocacy of universal suffrage and grassroots causes including a universal pension scheme. Chan told reporters the party had no assets to divest and no funds left after several of its bank accounts were shut down in 2023. While never as popular as the more moderate Democratic Party and Civic Party, it gained three seats in a 2008 legislative election - its best showing. The LSD's founder Leung, 69, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit subversion in 2021 in the landmark '47 Democrats' case. He is currently serving a sentence of six years and nine months in prison. Hong Kong's League of Social Democrats is disbanding amid "immense political pressure" from a five year-long national security crackdown, leaving the China-ruled city with no formal pro-democracy opposition presence. The LSD becomes the third major opposition party to shutter in Hong Kong in the past two years. Co-founded in 2006 by former lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung as a radical wing of the pro-democracy camp, the LSD is the last group in Hong Kong to stage small protests this year. Mass public gatherings and marches spearheaded by political and civil society groups had been common in Hong Kong until 2020, but the threat of prosecution has largely shut down organised protests since. China imposed a national security law on the former British colony in 2020, punishing offences like subversion with possible life imprisonment following mass pro-democracy protests in 2019. A second set of laws, known as Article 23, was passed in 2024 by the city's pro-Beijing legislature covering crimes such as sedition and treason. Current chair Chan Po-ying said the group had been "left with no choice" and after considering the safety of party members had decided to shutdown. Chan declined to specify what pressures they had faced. "We have endured hardships of internal disputes and the near total imprisonment of our leadership while witnessing the erosion of civil society, the fading of grassroots voices, the omnipresence of red lines and the draconian suppression of dissent," Chan told reporters. In February, the Democratic Party, the city's largest and most popular opposition party, announced it would disband. Several senior members told Reuters they had been warned by Beijing that a failure to do so would mean serious consequences including possible arrests. Earlier this month, China's top official on Hong Kong affairs, Xia Baolong, stressed national security work must continue as hostile forces were still interfering in the city. "We must clearly see that the anti-China and Hong Kong chaos elements are still ruthless and are renewing various forms of soft resistance," Xia said in a speech in Hong Kong. The League of Social Democrats is one of Hong Kong's smaller pro-democracy groups known for its more aggressive tactics and street protests in its advocacy of universal suffrage and grassroots causes including a universal pension scheme. Chan told reporters the party had no assets to divest and no funds left after several of its bank accounts were shut down in 2023. While never as popular as the more moderate Democratic Party and Civic Party, it gained three seats in a 2008 legislative election - its best showing. The LSD's founder Leung, 69, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit subversion in 2021 in the landmark '47 Democrats' case. He is currently serving a sentence of six years and nine months in prison. Hong Kong's League of Social Democrats is disbanding amid "immense political pressure" from a five year-long national security crackdown, leaving the China-ruled city with no formal pro-democracy opposition presence. The LSD becomes the third major opposition party to shutter in Hong Kong in the past two years. Co-founded in 2006 by former lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung as a radical wing of the pro-democracy camp, the LSD is the last group in Hong Kong to stage small protests this year. Mass public gatherings and marches spearheaded by political and civil society groups had been common in Hong Kong until 2020, but the threat of prosecution has largely shut down organised protests since. China imposed a national security law on the former British colony in 2020, punishing offences like subversion with possible life imprisonment following mass pro-democracy protests in 2019. A second set of laws, known as Article 23, was passed in 2024 by the city's pro-Beijing legislature covering crimes such as sedition and treason. Current chair Chan Po-ying said the group had been "left with no choice" and after considering the safety of party members had decided to shutdown. Chan declined to specify what pressures they had faced. "We have endured hardships of internal disputes and the near total imprisonment of our leadership while witnessing the erosion of civil society, the fading of grassroots voices, the omnipresence of red lines and the draconian suppression of dissent," Chan told reporters. In February, the Democratic Party, the city's largest and most popular opposition party, announced it would disband. Several senior members told Reuters they had been warned by Beijing that a failure to do so would mean serious consequences including possible arrests. Earlier this month, China's top official on Hong Kong affairs, Xia Baolong, stressed national security work must continue as hostile forces were still interfering in the city. "We must clearly see that the anti-China and Hong Kong chaos elements are still ruthless and are renewing various forms of soft resistance," Xia said in a speech in Hong Kong. The League of Social Democrats is one of Hong Kong's smaller pro-democracy groups known for its more aggressive tactics and street protests in its advocacy of universal suffrage and grassroots causes including a universal pension scheme. Chan told reporters the party had no assets to divest and no funds left after several of its bank accounts were shut down in 2023. While never as popular as the more moderate Democratic Party and Civic Party, it gained three seats in a 2008 legislative election - its best showing. The LSD's founder Leung, 69, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit subversion in 2021 in the landmark '47 Democrats' case. He is currently serving a sentence of six years and nine months in prison.
