The BBC has been told it “must explain” why it failed to cut away from Pro-Palestine act Bob Vylan’s “death to the IDF” chants during their Glastonbury performance on Saturday
The BBC could be prosecuted over rapper Bob Vylan’s “appalling” comments after he called for the death of Israeli soldiers at Glastonbury. The corporation has been told it must explain why it failed to cut away from the rap duo’s live set after the band led chants of “death to the IDF” on Saturday.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also demanded answers from the BBC after criticising the “appalling hate speech” in which the Pro-Palestine band also led crowds on the festival’s West Holts Stage in chants of: “from the river to the sea, Palestine must be, will be, free.”
Vylan’s set was uploaded to iPlayer and remained on the streaming site for more than five hours before eventually being removed by the BBC. However, the corporation issued a warning about “very strong and discriminatory language.”
The BBC’s former director, Danny Cohen, said the BBC’s failure to cut away from the rapper will send a “shiver of fear, despair, disgust, and shock” down the spines of the UK’s Jewish community.
A BBC spokesperson said: “Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan’s set were deeply offensive. During this livestream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language. We have no plans to make the performance available on demand.”
Why could the BBC be prosecuted?
Keir Starmer said the BBC had “serious questions to answer” after the BBC live-streamed Bob Vylan’s performance on its iPlayer site. The corporation could face an investigation into whether it has breached public order laws after the rapper shouted “death, death to the IDF”- referring to the Israeli Defence Force – that was led by punk duo Boby Vylan during their performance.
Under the Public Order Act 1986, broadcasting material calling for the death of an individual or group is an offence. It carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.
Although people are free to criticise and make anti-Israel comments, the BBC may have “broadcast unlawful material”, according to Lord Carlile.
The top lawyer said: “I would be interested to know whether the BBC took legal advice and, if so, what that legal advice was. I’m very troubled they may have broadcast unlawful material under section 22 of the Public Order Act.”
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp called for the corporation to be investigated by police after the comments were broadcast, and what happened during Kneecap’s set. He said: “By broadcasting [Bob Vylan’s] vile hatred, the BBC appears to have also broken the law. I call on the police to urgently investigate and prosecute.”
Is the police investigating?
Avon and Somerset Police, responsible for policing Glastonbury, confirmed detectives are reviewing footage of the performance. The police force said: “We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon.
“Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation.”
A Government spokesperson said they “strongly condemn the threatening comments made by Bob Vylan at Glastonbury.” “It added: “The Culture Secretary has spoken to the BBC Director General to seek an urgent explanation about what due diligence it carried out ahead of the Bob Vylan performance, and welcomes the decision not to re-broadcast it on BBC iPlayer.”
What has Glastonbury said?
Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis issued a statement which said the rapper’s comments “crossed a line.” “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,” she wrote.
She said that while “as a festival, we stand against all forms of war and terrorism – we will always believe in – and actively campaign for – hope, unity, peace and love”, adding a performer’s comments “should never be seen as a tacit endorsement of their opinions and beliefs”.
Eavis added: “With almost 4,000 performances at Glastonbury 2025, there will inevitably be artists and speakers appearing on our stages whose views we do not share.”
How did Bob Vylan respond?
Bob Vylan, who formed in Ipswich in 2017, have released four albums addressing issues to do with racism, masculinity and class. Bobby Vylan’s real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, according to reports.
Posting on Instagram, Vylan told his fans that he had been “inundated” with a mixture of “support and hatred” following the performance but that he stood by what he said and is calling for “a change in foreign policy” despite the the Israeli Embassy saying it was “deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival”.
In a lengthy statement captioned “I said what I said”, the musician wrote: “As I lay in bed this morning, my phone buzzing non stop, inundated with messages of both support and hatred, l listen to my daughter typing out loud as she fills out a school survey asking for her feedback on the current state of her school dinners.
“She expressed that she would like healthier meals, more options and dishes inspired by other parts of the world. Listening to her voice her opinions on a matter that she cares about and affects her daily, reminds me that we may not be doomed after all.”
“Teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need is the only way that we make this world a better place. As we grow older and our fire possibly starts to dim under the suffocation of adult life and all its responsibilities, it is incredibly important that we encourage and inspire future generations to pick up the torch that was passed to us.
“Let us display to them loudly and visibly the right thing to do when we want and need change. Let them see us marching in the streets, campaigning on ground level, organising online and shouting about it on any and every stage that we are offered.” He concluded his statement: “Today it is a change in school dinners, tomorrow it is a change in foreign policy.”
