LONDON (AP) — British police mentioned they had been inspecting movies of a band that led chants of “death to the IDF” — Israel Protection Forces — at Saturday’s Glastonbury Pageant.
Rapper Bobby Vylan, of rap punk duo Bob Vylan, led crowds attending the pageant in chants of “free, free Palestine” and “dying, dying to the IDF.”
Avon and Somerset Police mentioned video proof could be assessed by officers “to find out whether or not any offenses might have been dedicated that will require a prison investigation.”
The Israeli Embassy to the U.Ok. mentioned on social media that it was “deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage on the Glastonbury Pageant.”
Well being Secretary Wes Streeting on Sunday condemned the band’s actions as “appalling.” He informed Sky Information that the BBC and pageant organizers needed to reply questions on how the feedback had been broadcast stay to hundreds of thousands.
The federal government mentioned Tradition Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to the BBC director common about Bob Vylan’s efficiency.
The BBC mentioned it issued a warning on display about “very strong and discriminatory language” through the stay stream.
Glastonbury is Britain’s largest summer season music pageant and attracts some 200,000 music followers annually to Worthy Farm in southwest England. Virtually 4,000 acts carry out on 120 phases.
Pageant organizers mentioned on Instagram that Vylan’s chants “very much crossed a line.”
“We’re urgently reminding everybody concerned within the manufacturing of the Pageant that there isn’t any place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence.”
“With nearly 4,000 performances at Glastonbury 2025, there’ll inevitably be artists and audio system showing on our phases whose views we don’t share, and a performer’s presence right here ought to by no means be seen as a tacit endorsement of their opinions and beliefs,” it mentioned.
Saturday’s pageant lineup additionally included Irish-language rap group Kneecap, which gave an impassioned efficiency for tens of hundreds of followers regardless of criticism by British politicians and a terror cost for one of many trio.
Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs underneath the stage identify Mo Chara, has been charged underneath the Terrorism Act with supporting a proscribed group for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a live performance in London in November.
The rapper, who was charged underneath the anglicized model of his identify, Liam O’Hanna, is on unconditional bail earlier than an extra courtroom listening to in August.
The group has confronted criticism for lyrics laden with expletives and drug references, and for political statements, particularly since movies emerged allegedly exhibiting the band shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” and calling on folks to kill lawmakers.
On Saturday band members led the viewers in chants of “Free Palestine” and “Free Mo Chara.” In addition they aimed an expletive-laden chant at U.Ok. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has mentioned he didn’t suppose it was “appropriate” for Kneecap to play Glastonbury.
