Bob Vylan Faces Backlash and Visa Revocation After Controversial Glastonbury Performance
Bob Vylan's anti-Israel chants at Glastonbury led to U.S. visa revocation, UK police investigations, and condemnation from officials, jeopardizing their North America tour.
‘Death to the IDF’?
New York Sun
UK police probe ‘hate speech’ at Glastonbury
Boston Herald
State Department Yanks Visas From Rap Group That Called for Murder of IDF Soldiers
Washington Free Beacon
Republicans Seek to Ban Bob Vylan From U.S.
TIME Magazine
Glastonbury has become a sinister festival of antisemitism
The Spectator World
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Overview
- Bob Vylan led anti-Israel chants at Glastonbury, including 'death to the IDF', prompting backlash and investigations into potential antisemitism.
- The Trump administration revoked visas for Bob Vylan due to their incitement of violence during the performance.
- UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the performance as 'appalling hate speech', increasing calls for action against the duo.
- Glastonbury organizers and UTA dropped Bob Vylan following the controversy, while UK police are investigating for potential public order incidents.
- U.S. Deputy Secretary of State stated that foreigners promoting violence and hatred are unwelcome in the U.S., impacting Bob Vylan's North America tour plans.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the incident as a serious breach of acceptable discourse, emphasizing condemnation from authorities and media. They highlight the tension between freedom of expression and incitement to violence, reflecting a bias against inflammatory rhetoric while acknowledging the complexities of artistic expression in politically charged contexts.
"The anti-semitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable."
NPR"The U.S. State Department has revoked the US visas for the members of the Bob Vylan band in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants."
Deadline"The State Department banned an English rap punk duo from performing in the United States after they appeared to lead a crowd in chants supporting besieged Gaza residents and wishing "death" upon Israeli forces, officials said Monday."
NBC News"The BBC has said it regrets not pulling down its live stream of a performance at the Glastonbury music festival over the weekend that included what the broadcaster calls "utterly unacceptable" chants against Israel's military."
CBS News"The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves."
ABC News"UTA has moved swiftly to drop Bob Vylan, the punk duo at the heart of a scandal in the UK over their performance at Glastonbury Festival."
Deadline"The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves."
Associated Press"The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves."
BBC News"Glastonbury officials released a statement Sunday denouncing by the chants and comments made by British punk and hip hop duo Bob Vylan from the festival’s stage Saturday."
Deadline"The festival is “appalled” by Vylan’s statements and is 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."
NBC News"The festival said in a statement shared on Instagram that 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."
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FAQ
Bob Vylan led chants including 'death, death to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF),' 'free, free Palestine,' and the phrase 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' during their Glastonbury 2025 performance.
Bob Vylan faced backlash including the revocation of their U.S. visas by the Trump administration, investigations by UK police for potential public order offenses, condemnation from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer characterizing their chants as 'appalling hate speech,' and being dropped by Glastonbury organizers and the talent agency UTA, jeopardizing their planned North America tour.
The BBC stated it should not have livestreamed Bob Vylan's performance due to the antisemitic nature of the chants, expressed regret, and condemned the incitement to violence. The broadcaster had displayed a warning about 'very strong and discriminatory language' during the broadcast but faced criticism and calls for explanation from officials and the regulator Ofcom.
The phrase 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' is interpreted differently by various groups; critics say it is a call for the destruction of Israel, while pro-Palestinian supporters argue it represents a call to end Israeli occupation. This slogan was central to the controversy over Bob Vylan's performance.
UK police have launched criminal investigations into Bob Vylan's performance on possible public order offenses related to their chants, amid wider calls from officials to address what has been described as hate speech shown during the festival.
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