4 days ago
Bob Vylan dropped from Manchester music festival
Punk duo Bob Vylan have been dropped from the line-up of a music festival in Manchester following their controversial appearance at Glastonbury.
The group had been due to headline the Radar Festival at Victoria Warehouse on Saturday, but organisers confirmed in a statement they would no longer appear.
Bob Vylan had also been due to perform at French festival Kave Fest, on Sunday, but organisers told the BBC that that too would no longer go ahead.
During Bob Vylan's Saturday set, the lead singer led the crowd in chants of "death, death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]", prompting criticism from across the political spectrum, including the prime minister who called it "appalling hate speech".
Bob Vylan responded to the outcry in a post on Instagram on Tuesday, saying they had been "targeted for speaking up".
"We are not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine," they said.
They added that "we, like those in the spotlight before us, are not the story. We are a distraction from the story, and whatever sanctions we receive will be a distraction."
A German music venue has also confirmed that Bob Vylan will no longer open for US band GoGo Bordello at a concert in Cologne in September.
Organisers of Kave Fest, which is held in the town of Gisors, said they would release a statement later explaining their decision.
The BBC has been criticised for broadcasting the Glastonbury set via a live stream which was available on iPlayer.
The UK's chief rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis strongly criticised "the airing of vile Jew-hate at Glastonbury" earlier this week.
The BBC previously said the "antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves".
In a statement on Monday, the corporation said: "The team were dealing with a live situation but with hindsight we should have pulled the stream during the performance. We regret this did not happen."
Broadcast regulator Ofcom also issued a statement, saying it was "very concerned" about the live stream, adding that "the BBC clearly has questions to answer".
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