Latest news with #PalestinianFlags
ABC News
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Kneecap play Glastonbury set amid terrorism charge as police investigate crowd chants
British authorities are reviewing footage of several performances at the Glastonbury Festival after two musical acts led their audiences in controversial chants. Elsewhere at Worthy Farm and on televisions across the UK, fans enjoyed surprise performances and the conclusion of a will they, won't they debate on broadcasting permissions. Here's what you may have missed. In the days leading up to Glastonbury, politicians and music industry bosses called on organisers to pull Irish hip-hop group Kneecap from the line-up. That was in response to band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, whose stage name is Mo Chara, being charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the band's appearance was "not appropriate". In response, Kneecap led chants of "F*** Keir Starmer" when they took the West Holts stage on Saturday. "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 a keffiyeh scarf associated with Palestinians. At least 30,000 people, hundreds of them with Palestinian flags, crammed in front of 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, another of the group's members — Móglaí Bap, otherwise known as Naoise Ó Cairealláin — 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. Kneecap, whose third member has the stage name DJ Próvaí, have 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. Also during the set, Mo Chara accused Israel of committing war crimes, saying: "There's no hiding it." A livestream of Kneecap's set reportedly pulled more than 1 million viewers on TikTok, after the BBC chose not to include it in its live broadcast of Glastonbury. Earlier, punk duo Bob Vylan led the crowd in a chant calling for "death to the IDF" on the same stage. The BBC has said it will not make Bob Vylan's performance available to watch on demand. Avon and Somerset Police said officers would assess video evidence of acts on the West Holts stage "to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation". For those who checked the Pyramid Stage's Saturday line-up, a particular listing caused a stir. In the third-from-the-top slot, a mysterious act was listed under the made-up name of 'Patchwork'. In the past, placeholder names have promised huge acts — ChurnUps in 2023 turned out to be the Foo Fighters, for example. Ahead of the performance, the rumour mill threw out theories that it could be Robbie Williams, Haim and Mumford and Sons. By the time 6.15pm rolled around, crowds that had diligently waited were rewarded with Britpop band Pulp. It was a fitting performance, with the band having headlined Glastonbury exactly 30 years and four days prior, when their famous track Common People was soaring in music charts. "Hi, my name is Jarvis, hello," the band's frontman Jarvis Cocker began. "This is Pulp. Sorry to the people who were expecting Patchwork. Did you know it was us?" Their set hit all the classic notes, ticking off Sorted For E's & Wizz, OU (Gone, Gone) and Disco 2000. For Acrylic Afternoons, Cocker said he was going to visit the crowd, and lobbed a cupful of teabags into the audience. "Share 'em," he said. As the clock ran down on their set, Pulp launched into their iconic hit, Common People. The song's crescendo was underscored with a flyover by the Royal Air Force's Red Arrows. In the headliner slot for the Pyramid Stage on Saturday was Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts. After much ado over Young's refusal to allow BBC to broadcast his Glastonbury performance, the Canadian-American singer had a last-minute change of heart. Young had been at odds with the British broadcaster for months, at one time threatening to pull out of the festival entirely because it was under the "corporate control" of the BBC and "not for me like it used to be". But on Saturday, the BBC announced it had been given permission to show his set live after all. "How you doing out there? How are you doing at the back? And how about you people with your TVs in the bedroom?" Young joked during the set. At the same time Neil Young and the Pyramid Stage were Rockin' In the Free World, Charli xcx was closing out the Other Stage. Her set started with a frayed, neon lime curtain emblazoned with 'brat' sent up in flames. While it first appeared to signal the end of the singer's brat era, graphics later flashed across the screens, declaring "brat is forever <3". Charli dedicated most of her time on stage to running through her brat hits, as water rained down over her set and screens flashed overhead. Gracie Abrams, who performed her own set at Glastonbury on Friday, was brought out as the Apple Girl. Surprise sets are to be expected at Glastonbury, but usually the artist is at least in the know ahead of time. That wasn't the case for Skepta, who pulled together a set list on just a few hours' notice. The British grime rapper was asked to step in to fill a vacancy on the Other Stage left by alt-metal band Deftones, who cancelled due to illness. Lucky for organisers, Skepta was already in the area after performing a DJ set on the Glade stage on Friday night. "Let's go! No crew, no production but am ready to shut Glastonbury down," he said, stepping onstage for the second time of the festival. "Victory lap time. Pre-Big Smoke 2025!" A good portion of his crowd may have been made up of fans waiting for a front-row spot for Charli xcx's set, but Skepta still managed to inject energy into the audience. In an effort to bridge the apparent divide, Skepta later acknowledged the contrasting audience demographics on X, writing: "We love Charli XCX". ABC/Reuters
The Independent
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
For Eurovision's sake, let's keep politics out of the song contest
What might once have been dismissed as just another of its fanciful affectations, Eurovision has a little motto: 'United by music.' These days, however, the song contest is increasingly divided. The camp shindig in which 40-odd countries parade their finest pop wares has become a prime target for those looking to score wider political points – latterly, by those protesting the Israeli government's action in Gaza. In recent years, there have been calls for Israel to be banned from the competition, much as Russia was after its invasion of Ukraine. One of Eurovision's most consistent participants, Israel has found its road to this year's grand final rockier than usual. Its performer, Yuval Raphael, a 24-year old singer, is a survivor of the October 7 attacks – and yet was booed during last weekend's opening 'turquoise carpet' parade through the host city, Basel. One demonstrator, reported to the police, was accused of making a throat-slitting gesture to the Israeli delegation. A group carrying Palestinian flags had to be ejected from Raphael's rehearsal performance. Dozens of former Eurovision contestants added to the downbeat mood by signing an open letter demanding that Israel be disqualified. So fans like me were holding their breath before last night's semi-final, to see what the reaction would be. Thanks to 'audio-masking' technology, viewers at home will have been entirely unaware of the protesters in the St Jakobshalle auditorium, whose piercing whistles were artificially drowned out while Raphael performed her moving ballad, 'New Day Will Rise'. Raphael has admitted that she has prepared for the boos. Being slated on stage is nothing compared to what she went through in October 2023, when she attended the Nova music festival at which more than 380 people were killed in the Hamas-led terrorist attack. She hid with others in a bomb shelter, but the shooters found them and killed many. Raphael played dead, hiding beneath a pile of bodies for eight hours, before she was rescued. One development after last night's semi-final was that Ncuti Gatwa will no longer be the United Kingdom's spokesperson. The Doctor Who star – a high-profile critic of the Israeli government's action in Gaza – had been lined up to reveal who gets our 'douze points' in Saturday's grand final. Yet just minutes after the line-up was confirmed, the BBC announced that he was 'no longer able' to attend, due to 'unforeseen circumstances'. What those might be have yet to emerge – but, suffice to say, 'Eurovision Twitter' has been full of speculation. I've attended Eurovision – Vienna 2015, since you ask – so I know what a thrilling, vibrant occasion it can be, one where an entire city is actually united by music. So I find it all the more unfortunate that the song contest has become a flashpoint for misplaced anti-Israeli sentiment. Last year, in Malmö, Israel's 20-year-old singer has to be surrounded by security as she travelled between hotel and the contest, after more than 10,000 pro-Palestinian protestors, including Greta Thunberg, descended on the highly policed city. Dozens were arrested. A noisy vigil was kept outside the performer's hotel. This year, the anti-Israeli sentiment has only grown. Kevin Bakhurst, head of Irish public service broadcaster RTÉ, got the ball rolling by asking the European Broadcasting Union for a discussion on Israel's involvement, saying he was "appalled by the ongoing events in the Middle East and by the horrific impact on civilians in Gaza". In unrelated news, the Irish entry was knocked out in the same semi-final that saw Israel sail through. As one wag on social media noted: 'For all the talk of Ireland boycotting Eurovision, it has predictably ended with Eurovision boycotting Ireland.' Long before this year's contest began, more than 70 former Eurovision participants had called for Israel to be banned. Its open letter read: 'By continuing to platform the representation of the Israeli state, the EBU is normalising and whitewashing its crimes.' And yet the EBU has also lifted its long-standing ban on contestants appearing on stage with non-national flags – which will doubtless mean pro-Palestinian symbols will abound in tomorrow's final. But an event featuring big bangers and big frocks is far too frivolous to involve the real world. According to a recent EBU statement, Eurovision is 'a universal event that promotes connections, diversity and inclusion through music'. There'll be plenty to enjoy in this year's final – the UK's winsome country lasses, Sweden's ode to the sauna, Finland's pneumatic dominatrix bringing some industrial noise, among even more crackpot performances. In a world of seemingly insoluble problems, is it too much to ask that people be allowed to connect in a small way, within a warm and welcoming community, even if it is for just a few days?
Arab News
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Israel's presence still roils Eurovision a year after major protests over the war in Gaza
BASEL: Most contestants at the Eurovision Song Contest are seeking as much publicity as possible. Israel's Yuval Raphael is keeping a low profile. The 24-year-old singer has done few media interviews or appearances during Eurovision week, as Israel's participation in the pan-continental pop music competition draws protests for a second year. Raphael is due to perform Thursday in the second semifinal at the contest in the Swiss city of Basel. Oddsmakers suggest Raphael is likely to secure a place in Saturday's final with her anthemic song 'New Day Will Rise.' Israel has competed in Eurovision for more than 50 years and won four times. But last year's event in Sweden drew large demonstrations calling for Israel to be kicked out of the contest over its conduct in the war against Hamas in Gaza. More than 52,800 people in Gaza have been killed in Israel's military offensive, according to the territory's health ministry. About 200 people, many draped in Palestinian flags, protested in central Basel on Wednesday evening, demanding an end to Israel's military offensive and the country's expulsion from Eurovision. They marched in silence down a street noisy with music and Eurovision revelry. Many noted that Russia was banned from Eurovision after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. 'It should be a happy occasion that Eurovision is finally in Switzerland, but it's not,' said Lea Kobler, from Zurich. 'How can we rightfully exclude Russia but we're still welcoming Israel?' Last year, Israeli competitor Eden Golan received boos when she performed live at Eurovision. Raphael told the BBC that she expects the same and has rehearsed with background noise so she won't be distracted. 'But we are here to sing and I'm going to sing my heart out for everyone,' she said. Anti-Israel protests in Basel have been much smaller than last year in Malmo. Another protest is planned for Saturday in downtown Basel, 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the contest venue, St. Jakobshalle arena. But concern by some Eurovision participants and broadcasters continues. More than 70 former Eurovision contestants signed a letter calling for Israel to be excluded. Several of the national broadcasters that fund Eurovision, including those of Spain, Ireland and Iceland, have called for a discussion about Israel's participation. Swiss singer Nemo, who brought the competition to Switzerland by winning last year, told HuffPost UK that 'Israel's actions are fundamentally at odds with the values that Eurovision claims to uphold — peace, unity, and respect for human rights.' At Wednesday's protest, Basel resident Domenica Ott held a handmade sign saying 'Nemo was right.' She said the nonbinary singer was 'very courageous.' 'If Russia couldn't participate, why should Israel?' she said. The European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision, pointed out that Israel is represented by its public broadcaster, KAN, not the government. It has called on participants to respect Eurovision's values of 'universality, diversity, equality and inclusivity' and its political neutrality.
Bloomberg
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
‘Incensed' Columbia Chief Blasts Protesters After 80 Arrests
By Updated on The crackdown was swift and the message was unequivocal: Columbia University has little tolerance for protesters who spark chaos on campus. The New York City school's acting president, Claire Shipman, said she was 'incensed' after masked demonstrators on Wednesday burst into the school's main library and draped Palestinian flags along its walls, disrupting 900 students studying for final exams. By the end of the day, the police were called in, protesters were cleared out and 80 people were arrested.
Bloomberg
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
‘Incensed' Columbia President Blasts Protesters After 80 Arrests
The crackdown was swift and the message was unequivocal: Columbia University has little tolerance for protesters who spark chaos on campus. The New York City school's acting president, Claire Shipman, said she was 'incensed' after masked demonstrators on Wednesday burst into the school's main library and draped Palestinian flags along its walls, disrupting 900 students studying for final exams. By the end of the day, the police were called in, protesters were cleared out and 80 people were arrested.
