US considers canceling British rap duo Bob Vylan's visa after they chanted 'death to the IDF' at Glastonbury
The U.S. State Department is looking into stopping anti-Israel rap duo Bob Vylan from entering America to tour in the wake of their calls for 'Death to the IDF' during their performance at Glastonbury.
The two musicians, 34-year-old Pascal Robinson-Foster - aka 'Bobby Vylan' - and the still unidentified drummer who goes by 'Bobbie Vylan' are set to tour America in the fall.
However, Marco Rubio 's State Department is looking into canceling that trip by revoking Robinson-Foster's visa.
'As a reminder, under the Trump Administration, the U.S. government will not issue visas to any foreigner who supports terrorists,' a senior State Department official told The Daily Caller.
The StopAntisemitism account led the charge to keep the group out of the United States when their tour begins in Spokane, Washington on October 24.
'Bob Vylan (legal name Pascal Robinson-Foster) called for the death of the IDF yesterday at @ glastonbury. He's coming to the U.S. this fall as part of the Inertia Tour. This antisemite must have his visa denied/rescinded - his hate is not welcome here.'
Republican Congressman Randy Fine responded by saying he was 'working on it.'
The group is scheduled to open for anti-Trump New Jersey rapper Grandson on the tour.
DailyMail.com has reached out to the State Department for comment.
The group made worldwide headlines for their primetime spot not only on Glastonbury's West Holts Stage but also on the BBC on Saturday - prompting furious protests over their anti-Israel calls.
The English band was streamed live by the BBC while performing directly before Irish language rap trio Kneecap, who the corporation refused to show live after controversial incidents including one of its members being charged with a terror offense.
In the act just before Kneecap, singer/guitarist Bobby Vylan and drummer Bobbie Vylan, who founded their band in 2017 in Ipswich, flashed up a large message in support of Palestinians while their set was being broadcast live by the BBC.
The message read: 'Free Palestine. United Nations have called it a genocide. The BBC calls it a "conflict".'
They then led the huge crowd in chants of 'Free Free Palestine' and 'Death Death to the IDF'.
Afterwards singer Bob Vylan told fans: 'From the river to the sea Palestine must be, will be, free.'
Performing on stage earlier, the singer was open about his and his bandmate's support for Palestinians.
He said: 'Recently a list was released of people trying to stop our mates Kneecap from performing here today. And who do I see on that f***ing list, but that bald-headed c*** I used to f***ing work for.'
Vylan had been speaking about a colleague at a record company he used to work at. His words were met with loud boos from the crowd.
He continued: 'So look, we have done it all, from working in bars to working or f***ing Zionists.
'So if we can do this, you can do absolutely anything that you put your mind to I'm telling you this.
'Don't give up on your dreams, and if you've got to go to that s***ty job to pay your bills and pay your rent you do what you've got to do to survive in this world.'
Later during a break between songs, the singer said: 'We're seeing some f***ed up things in the world. We're seeing the UK and the US be complicit in war crimes and genocide happening over there to the Palestinian people.
'And I know we're on the BBC, we're not going to say anything crazy. Leave that for them lads, you know what I mean.
'But unfortunately we have seen a strange reaction to people that come out and voice support for Palestine. Even though anybody with any moral compass can surely see that what is happening over there in Gaza is a tragedy.
'We are not pacifist punks here over at Bob Vylan Enterprises. We are the violent punks, because sometimes, you have to get your message across with violence because that is the only language some people speak.'
Although met by raucous cheers and applause from the audience, the chant also sparked fury from some online.
Bob Vylan's performance can now no longer be rewatched on BBC iPlayer as coverage of the West Holts stage at Glastonbury only goes back to around 5pm.
In response, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has demanded an 'urgent explanation' from Tim Davie, the BBC's Director General.
A government spokesperson said: 'We strongly condemn the threatening comments made by Bob Vylan at Glastonbury.
'The Culture Secretary has spoken to the BBC Director General to seek an urgent explanation about what due diligence it carried out ahead of the Bob Vylan performance, and welcomes the decision not to re-broadcast it on BBC iPlayer.'
A BBC spokesperson 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 Embassy of Israel in the UK said they were 'deeply disturbed' by the 'inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at Glastonbury'.
In a statement on X, a spokesperson for the embassy wrote: '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 normalization of extremist language and the glorification of violence.'
The embassy urged Glastonbury Festival organizers, artists, and public leaders in the UK 'to denounce this rhetoric and reject of all forms of hatred'.
Meanwhile, Robinson-Foster took to social media early on Sunday morning to address the backlash to his performance.
Posing with a tub of pink ice cream, he wrote: 'While zionists are crying on socials, I've just had late night (vegan) ice cream.'
It comes as Kneecap has faced calls in recent months to be stripped from the festival line-up, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer calling their performance 'not appropriate'.
The current war in Gaza was triggered by an attack by terrorist organisation Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023 in which some 1,200 people were killed and took more than 251 people hostage.
In response Israel launched a full-scale invasion of the Gaza strip which has lasted almost two years and has led to the deaths of at least 56,412 people, many children and civilians.
The United Nations has said Israel's actions, which include severely limited vital aid such as food, water and medical supplies into the Gaza Strip and raiding or bombing hospitals as 'consistent with the characteristics of Genocide'.
An international arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also been issued by the International Criminal Court.
Israel denies it is committing genocide and claims there is no food shortage for the two million Gazans who live in the strip, something that is widely disputed by aid organisations and international bodies, which have warned thousands of babies are at risk of dying of famine.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Western Telegraph
29 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
Acts who made political statements at Glastonbury 2025
The BBC has since expressed regret at not pulling its live-stream of the duo's performance at the West Holts stage on Saturday, saying the 'antisemitic sentiments' expressed by the group were 'utterly unacceptable'. Since Glastonbury was founded more than 50 years ago, many artists have used their platform at the ever-growing event to make political statements. Here are some of the acts who shared their views with audiences at this year's festival at Worthy Farm: – Kneecap The Irish rap group led Glastonbury crowds in chants of 'f*** Keir Starmer' during their set at the festival on Saturday. The group, who hail from Belfast, have been in the headlines after member Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence. JJ O'Dochartaigh performing during Kneecap's set on the West Holts Stage (Yui Mok/PA) Member Naoise O Caireallain, who performs under the name Moglai Bap, said during their set: 'The Prime Minister of your country, not mine, said he didn't want us to play, so f*** Keir Starmer.' He also said a 'big thank you to the Eavis family', adding the festival organisers 'stood strong' amid calls for Kneecap to be dropped from the line-up. The band also led crowds in chants of 'Free Palestine', with O hAnnaidh commenting on the sheer number of flags at the festival. The 27-year-old wore a keffiyeh during the set, while member JJ O Dochartaigh, who performs under the name DJ Provai, wore his signature tri-coloured balaclava and a T-shirt reading: 'We are all Palestine Action' in reference to the soon-to-be banned campaign group. Sir Rod Stewart paid tribute to Ukraine during his set (Yui Mok/PA) – Sir Rod Stewart Sir Rod Stewart filled the tea-time legends slot on Sunday, where he performed alongside his former Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood, Simply Red's Mick Hucknall and Scottish singer Lulu. The 80-year-old singer, who called on Britain to 'give Nigel Farage a chance' in an interview with the Times on Saturday, dedicated a song to Ukraine while its war with Russia rages on. 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 lyrics allude to a call for peace, as Sir Rod sang: 'People all over the world, join hands. Start the love train. The first stop that we make will be in England. Tell all the folks in Russia and China too. Don't you know that it's time to get on board?' – Jade Former Little Mix star Jade Thirwall took to the Woodsies stage on Saturday and got fans to join in during her perfomance of her record FUFN (F*** You For Now). 'I'm sure there are so many people who would love to say f*** you, so I want you all to put your middle fingers up in the air,' she told crowds. Jade made her political views known during her set (Ian West/PA) She encouraged her audience to join her in a call and response, where she said things she dislikes and they responded 'f*** you', including a jibe at Mr Farage's Reform UK party. 'Like low battery, smelly toilets, Reform, welfare cuts, transphobia, silencing protests, selling arms, justifying genocide,' Jade called out. – Black Country, New Road The indie-folk band played the Woodsies stage on Sunday, with vocalist and bassist Tyler Hyde taking centre stage wearing a Palestine flag T-shirt. The six-piece from Cambridge also had a flag draped over their keyboard, and during their set Hyde said 'Free Palestine' and led the audience in chants of 'Free, free Palestine'. – Wolf Alice Later on Sunday, singer Ellie Rowsell told the crowd watching the Mercury-winning indie band at the Other Stage: 'Whilst we have the stage for just a little bit longer, we want to express our solidarity with the people of Palestine. 'No one should ever be afraid to do that. 'We love you all, and we will see you out on the field.'
The Independent
34 minutes ago
- The Independent
EPA employees put names to 'declaration of dissent' over agency moves under Trump
A group of Environmental Protection Agency employees on Monday published a declaration of dissent from the agency's policies under the Trump administration, saying they 'undermine the EPA mission of protecting human health and the environment.' More than 170 EPA employees put their names to the document, with about 100 more signing anonymously out of fear of retaliation, according to Jeremy Berg, a former editor-in-chief of Science magazine who is not an EPA employee but was among non-EPA scientists or academics to also sign. The latter figure includes over 70 Nobel laureates. The letter represents rare public criticism from agency employees who could face blowback for speaking out against a weakening of funding and federal support for climate, environmental and health science. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health made a similar move earlier in June. "Since the Agency's founding in 1970, EPA has accomplished (its) mission by leveraging science, funding, and expert staff in service to the American people. Today, we stand together in dissent against the current administration's focus on harmful deregulation, mischaracterization of previous EPA actions, and disregard for scientific expertise," the letter read. Agency spokespeople did not immediately respond Monday to messages seeking comment. Employees want the EPA get back to its mission 'I'm really sad. This agency, that was a superhero for me in my youth, we're not living up to our ideals under this administration. And I really want us to,' said Amelia Hertzberg, an environmental protection specialist at the EPA who has been on administrative leave since February from the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, while the administration works to close down her department. Hertzberg's work focused on the most vulnerable groups impacted by pollution: pregnant and nursing people, young children and babies, the elderly, people with preexisting and chronic health conditions and people living in communities exposed to higher levels of pollution. That wasn't supposed to be controversial, but it's become so in this political climate, she said. ' Americans should be able to drink their water and breathe their air without being poisoned. And if they aren't, then our government is failing,' she said. Berg, who also directed the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at NIH from 2003-2011, said the dissent isn't motivated by partisan criticism. He said the employees hope it will help the EPA get back to the mission for which it was established — which 'only matters if you breathe air and drink water." The letter outlines what the EPA employees see as five main concerns: undermining public trust; ignoring scientific consensus to benefit polluters; reversing EPA's progress in America's most vulnerable communities; dismantling the Office of Research and Development; and promoting a culture of fear, forcing staff to choose between their livelihood and well-being. EPA has cut funding and rolled back federal regulations Under Administrator Lee Zeldin, EPA has cut funding for environmental improvements in minority communities, vowed to roll back federal regulations that lower air pollution in national parks and tribal reservations, wants to undo a ban on a type of asbestos and proposed repealing rules that limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas. Zeldin began reorganizing the EPA's research and development office as part of his push to slash their budget and gut their study of climate change and environmental justice. And he's seeking to roll back pollution rules that an Associated Press examination found were estimated to save 30,000 lives and $275 billion every year. 'People are going to die,' said Carol Greider, a Nobel laureate and professor of molecular and cellular biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who also signed the letter. She described last week's East Coast heat wave as evidence of the ways people are feeling the effects of climate change. 'And if we don't have scientists at the EPA to understand how what we do that goes into the air affects our health, more people are going to die,' she added. Berg said the declarations of dissent from both the NIH and EPA employees are noteworthy because they represent scientists speaking out as their careers are on the line. Even non-agency employees have to consider whether the government will withdraw research funding. Greider, asked about fears of repercussions or retaliation, said she's 'living the repercussions of everything.' She regularly meets with graduate students who are worried about pursuing scientific careers as labs lose funding. It's a long-term problem if we aren't supporting the next generation of scientists, she said: "That's decades worth of loss.' Follow Melina Walling on X @MelinaWalling and Bluesky @ ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Belfast Telegraph
38 minutes ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Have politics ruined Glastonbury? Here's what festival goers think
Not only has the festival faced a slew of unflattering press in the last few weeks for underpaying its artists, but a brand new headache presented itself on Saturday afternoon when Irish rap trio Kneecap took to the West Holts stage to play their much anticipated set. They were preceded by Bob Vylan, a London punk duo. And they made their voices heard: the last ten minutes of the set interspersed their music with calls of 'free Palestine.' They finished off with a chant that called for 'death to the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces)' - not exactly what you expect to be hearing at 3.30pm in the afternoon. Or is it? When I passed through the crowd on my way to secure a spot for Kneecap, I did a double take. The crowd seemed equally divided- despite the waving Palestinian flags, the chants seemed muted. But Kneecap didn't vary their tune much. During their set - which was watched by a stonking 30,000 members - its members, Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap, called for a 'riot' to take place on Mo Chara's upcoming court date in August. They then led the crowd in chants of 'f*** Keir Starmer' - they later clarified that they were joking about the riot claims. Naturally this has sparked an outpouring of online outrage and frothing. Some people on social media have compared the incident to a 'woke Nuremberg rally'; patently hysterical when you consider that the crowd was a peaceful one. Regardless of the feeding frenzy on the internet, on the ground at the festival, the mood seemed to be more of a collective shrug than fist-waving. 'I didn't see them, but I read what happened on the news after doing a blast of ket the next morning,' one festival goer told me dryly. 'I didn't care then and I still don't care now.' 'I just think, don't give anyone a reason to discredit the [free Palestine movement],' Olivia told me the morning after it happened. 'It's a peaceful protest, let it continue that way.' 'It was radical, I guess, but that's the whole point,' her friend Amy added. 'When things have gone too far, what do you expect people to do?' Others were blunter. 'Absolutely not,' Raj said when asked if Bob Vylan should have gone as far as they did. 'It's further than political. It's inciting violence. Glasto is a hundred per cent about 'free Palestine,' but I draw the line at 'death to the IDF.'' The BBC has also come under fire for first not filming, then filming the set (and cutting cameras after Bob Vylan, who ultimately proved the more incendiary performer). 'I think it's wrong of the BBC to edit out and censor it,' Ed told me. 'The BBC's meant to be impartial, so why not just livestream it and let the people decide what they think of it?' When asked about Bob Vylan's chants, the response was a shrug. 'I think a strong situation calls for a strong call to action.' For the government's part, health secretary Wes Streeting condemned the comments but added that 'Israel should get its own house in order.' Eavis herself has also issued a statement, adding that the sets 'crossed a line' and that the festival was 'appalled' by the statements made. To be honest, the whole thing does smack of hysteria. Coverage of both bands' comments have conveniently left out the fact that Israel's army have bombed and killed an estimated 60,000, likely more, Palestinians - something Kneecap repeatedly drew attention to during their set. Both bands have been open about their pro Palestine stance; the festival must have expected something like this would happen. Indeed, the Eavis family stood behind Kneecap when politicians called for them to be pulled. Factor in a general groundswell of people willing to speak about the issue of what is happening in Gaza- Amyl and the Sniffers, who played later at the Other Stage, gave an impassioned monologue about the topic - and what you have is a recipe for a perfect storm. Certainly it doesn't feel like the issue is as much of a talking point on the ground as it is online; the chatter I've heard has mostly been about who to see and where. But even as I type this, I've just heard band Turnstile yell "free Palestine" from the Other Stage, and those shouts are always met with cheers from the crowd. Like it or not, Glastonbury (and by extension, the BBC, which broadcasts it) can't escape this discussion. What remains to be seen is the extent of the fallout.
