UK government condemns 'death to the IDF' chants at Glastonbury festival
GLASTONBURY: The UK government said on Sunday that the BBC had questions to answer over criticism of Israel by musicians at Glastonbury festival that police are probing.
UK officers are studying videos of rapper Bobby Vylan leading crowds in chants of "Death, death to the IDF", a reference to the acronym for the Israeli army, during his set on Saturday.
They are also examining comments by outspoken Irish rap trio Kneecap, one of whose members wore a T-shirt dedicated to Palestine Action Group, which is about to be banned under UK terror laws.
The IDF chants, condemned by the Israeli embassy in London, were broadcast on the BBC, which airs coverage of Britain's most popular music festival.
"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," UK minister Wes Streeting told Sky News.
The Israel embassy said in a statement late Saturday "it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival".
But Streeting, Labour's health secretary, 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 settler violence in the West Bank.
A spokesperson for the BBC said some of the comments by Vylan, part of British duo Bob Vylan, were "deeply offensive" and the broadcaster had "no plans to make the performance available on demand."
'A joke'
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."
Kneecap, who have made headlines in recent months with their pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel stance, led crowds in a chant against UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Starmer 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 earlier 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 in an interview published Friday that "it was a joke -- we're playing characters".
Kneecap regularly lead crowds in chants of "Free Palestine" during their concerts. Their fans revere them for their anti-establishment stance and criticism of British imperialism but critics 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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
21 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Explained: How one Colombian man brought Zumba to the world, and the row over it in Kerala
Several religious groups in Kerala recently criticised the state government's decision to introduce Zumba classes in schools to encourage fitness among students, and as part of an anti-drugs measure. Earlier this week, cleric Abdul Samad Pookkottor said, 'Zumba is harmful to the moral life of students. Prayer is the best for mental well-being. We also have yoga. This is an import from the Western world. If the government insists that Zumba dance should be implemented, our clerics will fight against it. Girls and boys should not be allowed to mingle under the pretext of the Zumba dance…' The government said it would continue its policy despite similar comments made by some other organisations. What is Zumba, and what exactly is the controversy about? We explain. It's a relatively new form of exercise that combines dance and aerobics. In 1986, Beto Perez was working as an aerobics instructor in Cali, Colombia, but forgot to bring his tape of American pop hits by Michael Jackson and Madonna to a class. This led him to improvise a 30-minute class using the cassette he had in his car, 'full of Latin songs, specifically salsa and merengue tunes that he had recorded from the radio,' according to a BBC report. His students gave rave reviews. 'Every time I taught, more and more people would show up and take a class. There would be lines out of the door of people waiting to get in. Word travelled fast. This was the beginning of Zumba,' Perez told the BBC. He moved to the capital, Bogota, and later to the United States, without the requisite documents. Colombian pop icon Shakira also hired him to choreograph some songs. Today, Zumba classes have spread worldwide. In India, remixes of film music are also used in classes, rather than strictly Latin music. One major selling point is that its intensity is varied, and participants can choose what they want to do according to their convenience. With different kinds of songs and routines in almost every other class, depending on the instructor, it also offers a more dynamic form of exercise to people who may not enjoy the routine that gyms offer. Further, no equipment is needed for it. While aerobics includes several activities meant to increase oxygen consumption, such as running, swimming or jumping rope, Zumba mainly focuses on high-intensity dance and exercises. The trainer leads the class in sync with the fast-changing music, incorporating jumping jacks, arm stretches, and other moves. The dance workout was initially called the 'Rumba', which means party in Cuban and is also used in Latin America to refer to a variety of dances. 'Zumba' was a play on that. Perez launched his company, Zumba Fitness, based in Miami, with two other partners in 2001. They began by offering classes and certifications to instructors and have since expanded to classes, DVDs, clothing and accessories, and more. Notably, the recommended clothing for Zumba classes is the same as that for any fitness-related activity — proper shoes, and comfortable and breathable outfits suited for movement. However, Zumba has been restricted at times, particularly for women. In Afghanistan, the Taliban banned music and dancing under a strict implementation of Islamic law when it first came to power (1996 to 2001). Some Zumba classes later sprang up, once the regime came to an end. In 2017, Iran was reported to have banned Zumba and arrested people for it. A BBC report from the time quoted Hamid Damghani, a commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as saying, 'They were arrested by the Guards' intelligence forces while teaching and creating video clips… as they sought to change lifestyles and promote a lack of hijab,' he said. Some religious leaders have continued opposing Zumba's inclusion in schools in recent days. Another cleric, Nazar Faizy Koodathai, said students should not be compelled into 'vulgarity'. 'If well-built students are also forced to dance wearing minimum clothes and mingling with the opposite sex, it is highly deplorable. Instead of introducing Zumba, let the government focus on physical training programmes. Students should not be forced into vulgarity,' he said. However, the state government has shown no signs of walking back its decision so far. The general secretary of the state's ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist), M A Baby, told the media in Kozhikode that 'religion should be kept away from education'. 'Children should grow mingling with one another. Those who oppose should rethink their stand. In a secular country, religion should be kept away from public education. They can comment on issues, but they should not dictate terms on education,' he said. Education Minister V Sivankutty said, 'Certain quarters have come out against Zumba, which is being introduced in schools as part of anti-drug initiatives.' He added, 'What is being held in schools is a short physical fitness programme. Students are performing Zumba in their uniforms.' He said that under the Right to Education Act, it was mandatory for all students to participate in learning activities suggested by the government. The minister also shared videos of students of two schools in Muslim-majority areas performing Zumba in uniform, wearing headscarves. Higher education minister Dr R Bindu also shared a video of college students — including Catholic nuns — dancing to music at a college in Irinjalakuda in Thrissur.
Hindustan Times
21 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Israel PM Netanyahu's corruption trial deferred on security grounds amid Donald Trump's ‘witch hunt' remark
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu got a huge relief on Sunday as the Jerusalem District Court cancelled Monday's hearing into his long-running corruption trial. US President Donald Trump had called for the cancellation of Benjamin Netanyahu's trial, which he termed as a 'witch Hunt'.(REUTERS File) The postponement came as the court accepted a request the Israeli leader made, citing classified diplomatic and security grounds. According to a report by Reuters, the ruling said that new reasons provided by Netanyahu, the head of Israel's spy agency Mossad and the military intelligence chief justified cancelling the hearings. This comes amid US President Donald Trump's call for the cancellation of the trial, which he termed as a 'witch hunt'. It was unclear whether Trump's social media post influenced the court's decision. Benjamin Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust - all of which he denies. He has cast the trial against him as an orchestrated left-wing witch-hunt meant to topple a democratically elected right-wing leader. The court had rejected a request by Netanyahu to delay his testimony for the next two weeks on Friday. He had given similar arguments for postponement, citing diplomatic and security matters following the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, which ended last Tuesday. What had Donald Trump said on the Benjamin Netanyahu trial Donald Trump has called the trial of Benjamin Netanyahu 'insanity', saying that the US wouldn't stand for this. "It is INSANITY doing what the out-of-control prosecutors are doing to Bibi Netanyahu,". He said Washington, having given billions of dollars worth of aid to Israel, was not going to "stand for this," Trump said in a Truth Social post. Trump said Netanyahu was "right now" negotiating a deal with Hamas, though neither leader provided details, and officials from both sides have voiced scepticism over prospects for a ceasefire soon. A spokesperson for the Israeli prosecution declined to comment on Trump's post. Netanyahu on X retweeted Trump's post and added: "Thank you again, @realDonaldTrump. Together, we will make the Middle East Great Again!" The Republican leader on Friday told reporters he believed a ceasefire was close.
Time of India
22 minutes ago
- Time of India
Iran Hits Israel With 'Black Hole' Bombshell; 71 Killed In Terrifying Strike On Iranian Prison
Iran revealed the death toll in the Israeli attack on Evin Prison in north Tehran days after the ceasefire. Iran's judiciary said at least 71 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Evin prison on June 23. Watch this video to know all about Iran's notorious facility, long criticized for its treatment and dubbed as a "black hole." Watch this video to know more. Read More
