NEWS
NEWS

British government condemns rapper's comments against Israel at Glastonbury festival

Updated

The rapper Bobby Vylan from the rap punk duo Bob Vylan led the crowd at the festival in chants of "Free, Free Palestine" and "Death, Death to the Israeli Defense Forces."

A festivalgoer holds a newspaper that reads "Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! Palestine No Solution But Liberation" during the performance of hip hop trio Kneecap at Glastonbury Festival.
A festivalgoer holds a newspaper that reads "Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! Palestine No Solution But Liberation" during the performance of hip hop trio Kneecap at Glastonbury Festival.AP

British police said they were examining videos of a band leading chants of "Death to the IDF," initials for the Israeli Defense Forces, the official name of the Israeli Army, at the Glastonbury Festival on Saturday.

The Avon and Somerset police said the video evidence would be evaluated by authorities "to determine if any crimes requiring a criminal investigation have been committed."

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated on Sunday that "there are no excuses" for the behavior of the rap duo Bob Vylan who urged the crowd to chant death to the Israeli army.

"There are no excuses for this kind of horrific hate speech," said the Labour Prime Minister to The Telegraph.

"I already said that Kneecap should not have a platform, and that applies to any other artist who makes threats or incites violence," Starmer said in reference to another rap group that the government requested to be removed from the festival lineup after one of its members was accused of supporting the Lebanese movement Hezbollah.

"The BBC must explain how these scenes were allowed to be broadcast," he added, referring to the British broadcaster airing the event.

The Israeli Embassy in the UK expressed on social media that they were "deeply disturbed by the incendiary and hateful rhetoric expressed on the Glastonbury Festival stage."

Health Secretary Wes Streeting condemned the band's actions as "appalling" on Sunday. In statements to Sky News, he said that the BBC and festival organizers had to answer questions about how the live comments were broadcast to millions of people.

The government stated that Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken with the BBC's director-general regarding Bob Vylan's performance.

The BBC mentioned that they displayed an on-screen warning about "strong and discriminatory language" during the live broadcast.

The festival lineup on Saturday also included the Irish rap group Kneecap, who delivered a passionate performance to tens of thousands of fans despite criticism from British politicians and the terrorism accusation against one of the trio's members.

Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the artistic name Mo Chara, has been charged under terrorism laws for allegedly supporting a proscribed organization by reportedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a concert in London in November.

The rapper, identified in police documents as Liam O'Hanna, is currently on unconditional bail pending a court hearing in August.

The group has faced criticism for profanity-laden lyrics, drug references, and political statements, especially since videos emerged allegedly showing the band shouting "up Hamas, up Hezbollah" and urging people to kill lawmakers.

On Saturday, band members led the crowd in chants of "Free Palestine" and "Free Mo Chara." They also directed a chant full of profanities at the British Prime Minister.

Approximately 200,000 attendees have gathered in southwest England for the UK's most prestigious summer music festival, featuring almost 4,000 artists on 120 stages.