Glastonbury Competition condemns chants of ‘free Palestine’ and ‘loss of life to the IDF’

Palestinian flags waved amid the group at Glastonbury on Saturday as a number of performers at one in every of Britain’s largest music festivals led the viewers in chants criticizing Israel’s continued army marketing campaign in Gaza.

English punk duo Bob Vylan got here below fireplace after showing to encourage tens of hundreds of viewers members to name for “loss of life” to the Israeli Protection Forces. Following chants of “Free, free Palestine,” singer Bobby Vylan appeared to change to a special line: “Demise, loss of life to the IDF.”

“From the river to the ocean,” Vylan may very well be seen saying on video shared throughout social media, “Palestine have to be, can be, inshallah, it will likely be free.”

Emily Eavis, co-organizer of the Glastonbury Competition in southwestern England, shared in a press release Sunday that the competition is “appalled” by Vylan’s statements.

“Their chants very a lot crossed a line and we’re urgently reminding everybody concerned within the manufacturing of the Competition that there is no such thing as a place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence,” Eavis wrote.

She wrote that the organizers stand in opposition to “all types of struggle and terrorism” and can at all times advocate for “hope, unity, peace and love.”

“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,” Eavis added, “and a performer’s presence right here ought to by no means be seen as a tacit endorsement of their opinions and beliefs.”

The incident comes as criticism of Israel grows louder all over the world, with many within the U.Okay., U.S. and elsewhere protesting Israel’s marketing campaign in Gaza, the place the loss of life toll has surpassed 55,000, in keeping with the Gaza Well being Ministry.

The Israel-Hamas struggle started on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas carried out a terrorist assault on southern Israel during which no less than 1,200 folks have been killed and 251 have been taken hostage, in keeping with an Israeli tally. Israel vowed to get rid of Hamas in response.

Israel has additionally been accused of struggle crimes by the U.N. Fee of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

On Saturday afternoon, the Avon and Somerset Police have been fast to announce in an X put up that officers are assessing video proof to “decide whether or not any offences could have been dedicated that may require a prison investigation.”

The BBC, which aired the competition, additionally mentioned that a few of Vylan’s feedback onstage have been “deeply offensive.”

“Throughout this dwell stream on iPlayer, which mirrored what was taking place on stage, a warning was issued on display screen concerning the very robust and discriminatory language,” a spokesperson wrote in an e mail. “We have now no plans to make the efficiency obtainable on demand.”

And in a press release issued by the Israeli Embassy in the UK, officers denounced speech that they mentioned “crosses into incitement, hatred, and advocacy of ethnic cleaning.” The embassy wrote that chants like “Demise to the IDF,” and “From the river to the ocean” are phrases that “advocate for the dismantling of the State of Israel and implicitly name for the elimination of Jewish self-determination.”

“When such messages are delivered earlier than tens of hundreds of festivalgoers and met with applause, it raises severe considerations concerning the normalization of extremist language and the glorification of violence,” the embassy wrote.

Bob Vylan didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

However the punk group wasn’t the one act to land in scorching water for its conduct on the competition. Northern Irish rap trio Kneecap — which has stirred controversy earlier than for its vocally pro-Palestinian views — additionally criticized Israel throughout its set whereas encouraging chants of “Free, free Palestine.”

Final month, British authorities charged Kneecap rapper Mo Chara, whose actual identify is Liam O’Hanna (or Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh), with a terrorism offense after he was accused of displaying the flag of the Hezbollah militant group. He appeared in court docket earlier this month.

On Saturday, the band appeared to kick off its set with a video compilation highlighting the fear cost in addition to politicians criticizing Glastonbury’s determination to permit Kneecap to play, in keeping with clips that circulated on-line.

“I don’t must lecture you folks. Israel are struggle criminals. It’s a f—–g genocide,” O’Hanna advised the group. He additionally known as consideration to the variety of Palestinian flags within the viewers, including, “The BBC editors are gonna have some job.”

He then known as on the group to hitch him within the chant, emphasizing the “distinction it makes to folks in Palestine once they see folks from the opposite aspect of the world.”

The band additionally drew backlash earlier this yr when it included pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel messaging at Coachella, the place it displayed a display screen with the phrases: “F— Israel, Free Palestine.”

“The Irish not so way back have been persecuted by the hands of the Brits, however we have been by no means bombed from the … skies with nowhere to go,” O’Hanna mentioned at Coachella throughout the band’s second weekend efficiency. “The Palestinians have nowhere to go.”