British punk-rap group Bob Vylan is facing widespread criticism and a police inquiry following anti-Israel remarks made during their performance at the Glastonbury music festival on Saturday.
The group led crowds in chants of “Death, death to the IDF,” referring to the Israeli military.
Authorities are also examining comments made by Irish rap trio Kneecap, whose members have been vocal critics of Israel and its military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
One Kneecap member was seen wearing a T-shirt supporting the Palestine Action Group, which is currently facing a ban under UK terror laws.
The UK government has “strongly condemned” Bob Vylan’s chants, with Glastonbury organisers stating the remarks “very much crossed a line.”
The festival issued a statement emphasising that “there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech, or incitement to violence.”
Avon and Somerset police confirmed they are reviewing video evidence to determine if any criminal offences were committed.
Bob Vylan’s frontman, Bobby Vylan, led the chants, which were broadcast live on the BBC.
Wes Streeting, the Labour government’s health secretary, called the chants “appalling” and stressed that “all life is sacred,” suggesting the BBC and Glastonbury have “questions to answer.”
The Israeli embassy in London expressed being “deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric.”
However, Streeting also urged the embassy to “get your own house in order,” citing Israeli settler violence in the West Bank.
A BBC spokesperson stated Vylan’s comments were “deeply offensive” and confirmed the performance would not be available on its on-demand service.
Despite the controversy, some festival-goers, like Joe McCabe, felt the message of “questioning what’s going on there (in Gaza) is right.”
Kneecap, known for its pro-Palestinian stance, also led chants against UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. This follows a terror charge against Kneecap member Liam O’Hanna (Mo Chara) for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag and chanting “Up Hamas, Up Hezbollah” at a London concert last year.
O’Hanna denies the charge, claiming it “was a joke.”
Kneecap regularly leads “Free Palestine” chants and is revered by fans for their anti-establishment views, while critics label them extremists.
The group previously apologised for a 2023 video where a singer appeared to call for the death of British Conservative lawmakers.
The conflict in Gaza began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.
Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has since killed at least 56,412 people in Gaza, predominantly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry, figures the United Nations considers reliable.
