Bob Vylan have had their U.S. visas revoked by the Trump administration after the English punk duo’s frontman, who goes as Bobby Vylan, led a chant of “Demise, demise to the IDF” at the Glastonbury festival on Saturday, June 28, CNN reviews. The duo had already come below hearth from the British prime minster, Keir Starmer; Glastonbury organizers; and the BBC, which has apologized for livestreaming the mantra aimed on the Israeli Protection Forces. British police are investigating whether or not their feedback quantity to a legal act, BBC News notes.
Bob Vylan have lengthy been vocal supporters of Palestine, significantly in mild of the Israeli army’s continued assault on Gaza and the West Financial institution. A backdrop to the duo’s set learn messages reminiscent of: “United Nations have called it a genocide. The BBC calls it a ‘battle.’” On stage, Bobby Vylan informed the group, “Typically we now have to get our message throughout with violence as a result of that’s the one language some individuals communicate, sadly.” He later responded to the controversy on Instagram, citing a duty to show “youngsters to talk up for the change they need and want.” He added, “Allow them to see us marching within the streets, campaigning on floor degree, organising on-line and shouting about it on any and each stage that we’re supplied.”
Bob Vylan had been on account of tour the USA in October and November; these dates, naturally, are in jeopardy. Christopher Landau, the deputy secretary of state, wrote on X that the state division had “revoked the US visas for the members of the Bob Vylan band in mild of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, together with main the group in demise chants. Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred will not be welcome guests to our nation.” Bob Vylan have additionally been dropped by United Expertise Company.
Glastonbury organizers posted on social media that they have been “appalled by the statements constituted of the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan.” Dozens of different artists made pro-Palestinian remarks on the competition, and Palestinian flags have been a fixture among the many crowds, as Amyl and the Sniffers noted in an announcement defending Bob Vylan and Kneecap. However Bob Vylan’s chants “very a lot crossed a line,” in line with Glastonbury, whose organizers—together with a number of British politicians and the BBC—have introduced the group’s criticism of the Israeli army as antisemitic.
British police are additionally investigating Kneecap for his or her Glastonbury set, although it has not been specified what a part of the present is below scrutiny; Keir Starmer had referred to as for the group to be pulled from the Glastonbury lineup upfront. In a uncommon break from customized, the BBC, which airs steady footage from Glastonbury’s fundamental levels, refused to broadcast Kneecap’s set, however later uploaded a largely unedited stream of the present to its iPlayer platform. Kneecap band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, higher often called Mo Chara, just lately appeared in court docket on a terror cost referring to the alleged show of a Hezbollah flag throughout a 2024 live performance.
