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Newsweek
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Bob Vylan Glastonbury Anti-Israel Chants: Police Issue Update
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Police have issued an update following Bob Vylan's performance at the Glastonbury Festival over the weekend. On Saturday, the English punk duo led concertgoers in a chant of "death, death to the IDF," referring to the Israel Defense Forces. The band's members go by the stage names Bobby Vylan and Bobbie Vylan. Newsweek contacted Bob Vylan's representative for comment via email on Monday. The Context Glastonbury—originally called the Pilton Pop, Folk and Blues Festival—was founded by English dairy farmer Michael Eavis in 1970. Today, the music festival—located on Worthy Farm in Somerset, England—has grown into the "largest greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world," according to the Somerset Council. The festival's organizers faced criticism this year over its decision to allow the Irish-language group Kneecap—which previously condemned Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip—to perform. On October 7, 2023, the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking another 251 hostage. In response, Israel launched a military operation that has killed more than 56,400 people in Gaza, the Associated Press reported, citing the strip's Hamas-run Health Ministry. Bob Vylan performing on the West Holts stage during the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England, on June 28. Bob Vylan performing on the West Holts stage during the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England, on June 28. Ki Price/WireImage What To Know Following Bob Vylan's Glastonbury performance, the Avon and Somerset Police issued a statement on its website and on X, formerly Twitter. "We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon," the statement said. "Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offenses may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation." We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon. Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation. — Avon and Somerset Police (@ASPolice) June 28, 2025 What People Are Saying On Sunday, Bobby Vylan posted a statement on Instagram alongside the caption, "I said what I said": "As I lay in bed this morning, my phone buzzing non stop, inundated with messages of both support and hatred, l listen to my daughter typing out loud as she fills out a school survey asking for her feedback on the current state of her school dinners. She expressed that she would like healthier meals, more options and dishes inspired by other parts of the world. Listening to her voice her opinions on a matter that she cares about and affects her daily, reminds me that we may not be doomed after all. Teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need is the only way that we make this world a better place. As we grow older and our fire possibly starts to dim under the suffocation of adult life and all its responsibilities, it is incredibly important that we encourage and inspire future generations to pick up the torch that was passed to us. Let us display to them loudly and visibly the right thing to do when we want and need change. Let them see us marching in the streets, campaigning on ground level, organizing online and shouting about it on any and every stage that we are offered. Today it is a change in school dinners, tomorrow it is a change in foreign policy." Glastonbury Festival and Emily Eavis, Michael Eavis' daughter, shared a statement to their official Instagram accounts: "Glastonbury Festival was created in 1970 as a place for people to come together and rejoice in music, the arts and the best of human endeavor. As a festival, we stand against all forms of war and terrorism. We will always believe in—and actively campaign for—hope, unity, peace and love. "With almost 4,000 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. "However, we are appalled by the statements made from the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan yesterday. Their chants very much crossed a line and 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 Israeli Embassy in England wrote on X: "The Embassy of Israel in the United Kingdom is deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival. "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. "We call on Glastonbury Festival organizers, artists, and public leaders in the U.K. to denounce this rhetoric and reject of all forms of hatred." U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech." U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas wrote on X: "Truly sick. Thousands of people screaming 'Death to the IDF.' This is the base of the Democrat Party." What Happens Next Glastonbury Festival is taking what is known as a "fallow year" in 2026 to give the land at Worthy Farm a break from heavy pedestrian traffic.
Sky News
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News
'Very concerned' Ofcom says BBC has 'questions to answer' after streaming anti-IDF chants at Glastonbury
The BBC has questions to answer over the live streaming of Bob Vylan's set in which a band member shouted "death to the IDF", according to a media watchdog. Ofcom it was "very concerned" about the stream, which showed rapper Bobby Vylan lead crowds at the festival's West Holts Stage in chants of: "Free, free Palestine" and: "Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)" on Saturday. An Ofcom spokesperson said on Monday: "We are very concerned about the live stream of this performance, and the BBC clearly has questions to answer. "We have been speaking to the BBC over the weekend and we are obtaining further information as a matter of urgency, including what procedures were in place to ensure compliance with its own editorial guidelines." Video showed some of the crowd joining in with the chant, while the group performed in front of a screen that claimed Israel's actions in Gaza amount to "genocide". The latest development follows severe condemnation from the prime minister on Sunday. Sir Keir Starmer said there was "no excuse" for "this kind of appalling hate speech". He also referenced a previous statement that Belfast rap group Kneecap should have been removed from the line-up after one member was charged with a terrorism offence. "I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence," he said. "The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast." Festival organiser Emily Eavis said Bob Vylan had "very much crossed a line". She added: "Their chants very much crossed a line and 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 Israeli embassy said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric", adding that the slogan chanted "advocates for the dismantling of the State of Israel". Please refresh the page for the latest version.
Wales Online
2 days ago
- Politics
- Wales Online
Police examining Glastonbury performances labelled ‘hateful' and ‘grotesque'
Police examining Glastonbury performances labelled 'hateful' and 'grotesque' In a post on social media, Avon and Somerset Police said: "We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon (Image: PA ) Police continue to examine videos of comments made by acts Bob Vylan and Kneecap at Glastonbury as the festival enters its third day. Rapper Bobby Vylan, of rap punk duo Bob Vylan, on Saturday led crowds on the festival's West Holts Stage in chants of: "Free, free Palestine" and: "Death, death to the IDF", before a member of Irish rap trio Kneecap suggested fans "start a riot" outside his bandmate's upcoming court appearance. In a post on social media, Avon and Somerset Police said: "We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon. "Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation." Reacting on social media, the Israeli Embassy said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival". A statement on X said: "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. Article continues below "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 normalisation of extremist language and the glorification of violence. "We call on Glastonbury Festival organisers, artists, and public leaders in the UK to denounce this rhetoric and reject of all forms of hatred." Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the scenes "grotesque", writing on X: "Glorifying violence against Jews isn't edgy. The West is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked. "The cultural establishment needs to wake up to the fact this isn't protest, it's incitement. "Less than 2 years ago, hundreds were raped and murdered at a music festival. It's not just the act but the gormless people clapping along and cheering. People with no idea what real terror is. "They don't understand the evil ideology they're amplifying – and they don't care." 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." Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to the BBC director general about Bob Vylan's performance, a Government spokesperson said. They added: "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." Kneecap, 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. In reference to his bandmate's upcoming court date, Naoise O Caireallain, who performs under the name Moglai Bap, said they would "start a riot outside the courts", before clarifying: "No riots just love and support, and support for Palestine." In the run-up to the festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset, several politicians called for the group to be removed from the line-up and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said their performance would not be "appropriate". During the performance, Caireallain said: "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" and said "they stood strong" amid calls for the organisers to drop them from the line-up. O hAnnaidh, 27, wore a keffiyeh during the set, while member JJ O Dochartaigh, who performs under the name DJ Provai, wore his signature tri-coloured balaclava as well as a T-shirt that said: "We are all Palestine Action", in reference to the soon-to-be banned campaign group. News broadcasts criticising the hip hop trio played from the sound system before they walked onto the stage were booed by the Glastonbury Festival audience. The trio opened with the song Better Way To Live from their 2024 album Fine Art and also performed tracks including Get Your Brits Out and Hood. Access to the area around the West Holts Stage was closed around 45 minutes before their performance after groups of fans arrived to form a sea of Irish and Palestinian flags. Earlier on Saturday, the BBC confirmed they would not be live-streaming the set but said the performance is likely to be made available on-demand later. O hAnnaidh was charged with allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah, while saying "up Hamas, up Hezbollah" at a gig in November last year. On June 18, the rapper was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates O Caireallain and O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates' Court in Free Mo Chara T-shirts. He was released on unconditional bail until the next hearing at the same court on August 20. Saturday night's Pyramid Stage headliner, Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts, opened with the song Sugar Mountain, with Young saying "thank you folks" to the crowd as the song ended. The set list, drawing heavily from live album Live Rust, included songs Be The Rain, When You Dance I Can Really Love, Cinnamon Girl and Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black), with lyrics that reference Johnny Rotten, the stage name of Sex Pistols's John Lydon. Charli XCX's performance on the Other Stage saw US singer Gracie Abrams perform the viral Apple dance. As the song began, the British pop star said: "Who the f*** is gonna be Apple girl, Glastonbury?" while holding what appeared to be a glass of wine. The 32-year-old played her Partygirl set at Glastonbury Festival last year, but this time the singer performed on a much bigger stage amid a year that has seen her pick up a slew of awards. Elsewhere at the festival, Haim performed as the surprise act on the Park Stage at 7.30pm, while on the Pyramid Stage, Pulp were revealed to be Patchwork with the Sheffield-formed Britpop band paying homage to their breakthrough 1995 stand-in headline set during the performance. Performing in the coveted Sunday legends slot this year is Sir Rod Stewart, who previously said he will be joined by his former Faces band member Ronnie Wood, as well as other guests. Article continues below Sir Rod's performance will come after he postponed a string of concerts in the US, due to take place this month, while he recovered from flu. US singer Olivia Rodrigo takes the final Sunday slot after opening the British Summer Time Hyde Park concert series on Friday. The BBC is providing livestreams of the five main stages: Pyramid, Other, West Holts, Woodsies and The Park.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Police probe Glastonbury performance after controversial gig
Police have said they are investigating Kneecap's performance at Glastonbury on Saturday afternoon. The Irish rap trio took to the stage at 4pm where they were met by a packed out crowd following Bob Vylan's set. However, police have now said they are monitoring footage from the stage. Avon and Somerset Police posted on X: "We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon. "Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation." Before the band had even taken to the stage, Glastonbury bosses were forced to shut the area down as too many people had flocked to see them. It came as a blow for those who wanted to catch the trio perform as their set is not being shown on the BBC. The highly controversial gig won't be streamed live but an on-demand version will be available. A BBC spokesperson said: "As the broadcast partner, the BBC is bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers. Whilst the BBC doesn't ban artists, our plans ensure that our programming meets our editorial guidelines. "We don't always live stream every act from the main stages and look to make an on-demand version of Kneecap's performance available on our digital platforms, alongside more than 90 other sets." Glastonbury bosses even warned fans before the performance that large crowds were to be expected. They sent out a crowd warning as they named a list of artists who they think will draw in the biggest crowds. Bosses told festival goers: "Kneecap will draw a large audience for their 4pm West Holts show. If you're not planning to see them, please plan alternative routes around that area. If you do plan to attend, listen to stewards, and please have some other entertainment options in mind in case the field reaches capacity and we need to close it as part of our crowd planning measures." Band member Mo Chara's caused controversy recently after he was charged with brandishing a flag backing banned militant group Hezbollah at a gig in November 2024. He, real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, appeared in court last week as a result. The 27-year-old faced Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 18 while supporters and musicians, including Paul Weller, gathered outside. The charge related to an incident after the band's O2 Forum show in Kentish Town, London. However the band had branded the case against the musician as a "witch hunt". The band's scheduled appearance at Glastonbury was put in doubt and they faced calls from the Prime Minister for them to be booted off the line up. However, Kneecap, which is also made up of Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, were still able to perform and speaking at court, the band said: "For anybody going to Glastonbury, you can see us there at 4pm on Saturday. If you can't be there we'll be on the BBC. Most importantly: free, free Palestine."
Wales Online
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Police force says it is 'assessing' Glastonbury statements made by Kneecap and Bob Vylan
Police force says it is 'assessing' Glastonbury statements made by Kneecap and Bob Vylan Avon and Somerset Police said that the force was assessing comments made by acts at Glastonbury to see if offences had been committed Kneecap perform at Glastonbury (Image: WireImage ) A police force has said that it is looking at comments made at Glastonbury made by Kneecap and Bob Vylan to determine if offences had been committed. Avon and Somerset Police posted on social media that officers for the force were looking into comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at the festival. The force said that it was watching videos to decide if any offences had been committed. The police force said: 'We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon. 'Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation.' It is understood that controversial Irish rappers Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan are the two bands in question whose comments police are looking into. There were chants of: 'Free, free Palestine' and: 'Death, death to the IDF' - referring to the Israeli Defence Force - that were led by punk duo Boby Vylan during their performance. Article continues below Bob Vylan were followed by Kneecap on the West Holts stage. During the performance by the irish rap trio, rapper Naoise O Caireallain, who performs as Moglai Bap, said: 'The Prime Minister of your country, not mine, said he didn't want us to play, so f*** Keir Starmer.' Kneecap also led crowds in chants of: 'Free Palestine'. (Image: WireImage ) 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.' Article continues below Bob Vylan performing on the West Holts stage (Image: PA )
