Bobby Vylan of punk duo Bob Vylan has addressed his controversial remarks at Glastonbury 2025 – see his full assertion beneath.
On Saturday (June 28), the duo carried out to a packed West Holts stage forward of Kneecap‘s eagerly awaited set. Simply hours earlier than Kneecap have been because of take the stage (the place they known as out Keir Starmer), the BBC shared that it had made the choice to take away the Irish rap trio’s livestream off their iPlayer platform, and would as a substitute air an edited model on iPlayer on demand at a later time.
With Bob Vylan’s set nonetheless up on livestream, the duo used their platform to voice their help for Palestine, name out the BBC, Israel, the US and UK governments and extra. All through the efficiency, political slogans have been projected onto the display screen behind them, together with “Free Palestine – United Nations have known as it a genocide – the BBC calls it a ‘battle’”.
After the group instigated a chant of “free, free Palestine”, which they did a number of occasions, Bobby mentioned, “Have you ever heard this one?”, earlier than main a chant of “dying, dying to the IDF”, referring to the Israeli Protection Forces, that are concerned within the ongoing warfare in Gaza.
Bobby additionally mentioned: “We’re not pacifist punks right here over at Bob Vylan Enterprises,” referencing lyrics from their 2023 single ‘Censored (Interlude)’. “We’re the violent punks, as a result of generally you gotta get your message throughout with violence as a result of that’s the solely language some individuals converse, sadly.” See a full recap right here.
The duo’s feedback sparked discourse on social media – some have praised them for standing with Palestine, whereas others have condemned them for “inciting violence”.
Final night time, Bobby took to Instagram to chronicle his ideas on the incident in a submit captioned “I mentioned what I mentioned.” Within the submit, he shared that he had seen his daughter voicing her opinions on college dinners and that it was a reminder that he stands behind what he mentioned at Glastonbury.
“She expressed that she would love more healthy meals, extra choices and dishes impressed by different elements of the world. Listening to her voice her opinions on a matter that she cares about and impacts her every day, jogs my memory that we might not be doomed in any case.”
Bobby continued: “Educating our youngsters to talk up for the change they need and wish is the one approach that we make this world a greater place. As we get older and our hearth presumably begins to dim underneath the suffocation of grownup life and all its tasks, it’s extremely essential that we encourage and encourage future generations to select up the torch that was handed to us. Allow us to show to them loudly and visibly the proper factor to do once we need and wish change. Allow them to see up marching within the streets, campaigning on floor stage, organising on-line and shouting about it on any and each stage that we’re supplied. Immediately it’s a change in class dinners, tomorrow it’s a change in international coverage.”
Following the duo’s efficiency at Glastonbury 2025, the pageant issued an announcement saying it was “appalled” by their “dying to the IDF” chants: “With virtually 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,” the assertion continued.
It went on to say: “Nevertheless, we’re appalled by the statements constituted of the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan yesterday. Their chants very a lot crossed a line and we’re urgently reminding everybody concerned within the manufacturing of the Pageant that there isn’t a place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence.”
Cupboard minister Wes Streeting has since criticised Bob Vylan’s “dying to the IDF” chants whereas additionally telling the Israeli embassy to “get its personal home so as”. “I assumed it was appalling, to be trustworthy, and I believe the BBC and Glastonbury have gotten inquiries to reply about how we noticed such a spectacle on our screens,” he mentioned of Bob Vylan’s set.
“However I additionally assume it’s a reasonably shameless publicity stunt, which I don’t actually wish to give an excessive amount of indulgence to for that motive.” Per Sky Information, he mentioned focus ought to as a substitute be turned on “Israeli settler terrorists” attacking a Christian village simply weeks after setting it on hearth. “I’d additionally say to the Israeli embassy, get your personal home so as, by way of the conduct of your personal residents and the settlers within the West Financial institution.”
In the meantime, the Avon and Somerset Police have mentioned they are going to be investigating Bob Vylan’s efficiency, in addition to Kneecap’s set, to “decide whether or not any offences might have been dedicated that might require a legal investigation.”
Israel has been finishing up a full-scale army marketing campaign on occupied Gaza for nearly two years, since the October 2023 assault by Hamas on the Israeli music pageant Supernova the place 1,195 individuals have been killed.
The UN has discovered Israel’s army actions to be in step with genocide, and no less than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed, in keeping with the Gaza Well being Ministry. Israel has frequently denied that what’s occurring in Palestine is taken into account a genocide, and has argued that it has not partaken in any warfare crimes.
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