PM condemns ‘appalling hate speech’ at Glastonbury amid calls for BBC chiefs to ‘face charges’

Sir Keir Starmer has criticised chants led by punk duo Bob Vylan at Glastonbury of “Death, death to the IDF” as “appalling hate speech” and demanded answers from the BBC on how they were broadcast to viewers. Picture: Getty

By LBC Staff

The BBC has come under fire for its coverage of the Glastonbury festival, after it aired “death to the IDF” chants by punk group Bob Vylan, but cut the stream for Irish band Kneecap.

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Ministers and viewers have lambasted the BBC for its coverage of performances that mentioned Israel’s war on Gaza at the Glastonbury festival.

It comes as punk duo Bob Vylan, whose set was broadcast live, led crowds at the West Holts Stage in a chant of “death, death to the IDF” and “free, free, Palestine” as they performed before Irish rap trio Kneecap.

The group, made up of Bobby Vylan and Bobbie Vylan, also displayed several messages behind them on stage, including condemnations of Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza.

The message read: “Free Palestine. United Nations have called it a genocide. The BBC calls it a conflict.”

The BBC called the comments “deeply offensive,” and said it decided not to make the performance available on demand. It added that a disclaimer was put on the screen about strong and discriminatory language.

Read more: Glastonbury ‘appalled’ by Bob Vylan IDF chants claiming singer ‘crossed the line’

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But the broadcaster was lambasted by senior politicians for its coverage of the comments, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer demanded answers.

The Prime Minister said: “There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech.

“I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence.

“The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast.”

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp went further, and said the BBC’s senior executives “should face charges.”

Kneecap drew immense crowds, and organisers had to cut off access to the stage 40 minutes before they took the stage as it had reached capacity. Picture: Getty

He said the corporation ‘appears to have broken the law’ in broadcasting the comments, referring to public order laws which govern public gatherings and disruptive behaviour, as top barrister Lord Carlisle said they might have committed a criminal offence.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting also criticised the broadcast, saying the chants were “appalling” and the BBC has “questions to answer” for airing the set.

“I think [the BBC] have got some explaining to do,” he told LBC’s Lewis Goodall, adding: “I’d never heard of [Bob Vylan], I’m sure that played a part in why he did it.”

Streeting added that “publicity stunts” like the chants at Glastonbury take away from the “horrors” Palestinian people are currently facing in Gaza and the West Bank.

“Those comments do no service to the Palestinian people, who just this week saw their villages in the West Bank attacked and burned by Israeli settler terrorists.”

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to BBC director general Tim Davie about Bob Vylan’s performance, a government spokesperson said.

They added: “We strongly condemn the threatening comments made by Bob Vylan at Glastonbury.

“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.”

The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said it would be formally complaining to the BBC over its “outrageous decision” to broadcast Bob Vylan.

Fans at Kneecap during day four of Glastonbury festival 2025 at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 28, 2025 in Glastonbury, England. Picture: Getty

A spokesperson said: “Our national broadcaster must apologise for its dissemination of this extremist vitriol, and those responsible must be removed from their positions.”

The chants referred to the IDF, or Israel Defence Force, which has faced widespread criticism for decades for its unlawful conduct, and more recently has been accused of committing war crimes and genocide in Gaza.

But some have claimed the comments were antisemitic, and that they called for the death of Israelis in general, rather than the army.

Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis said the chants “crossed the line,” and reminded “everyone involved in the production of the Festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence.”

Nicole Lampert thought the chants were antisemitic. She told LBC that the BBC should have “stopped” and “censored” the performances of Bob Vylan and Kneecap.

“This was like an afternoon of Jew hate. And at no point was it stopped,” she said, adding: “And that’s what should have been and then censored because I’m afraid that that’s what we have to do now, because they were aware of this as well.

“That’s the problem. The BBC knew that there were problems. He went on the stage with the Palestine flag. So they were aware that it was going to be trouble.”

She said the BBC should have cut their stream, and that “it was only once politicians got involved [that they took the performance down] and it does make you think like who at the BBC thought this was acceptable and thought it was acceptable to go on for hours?”

The BBC has been approached for comment.

But the BBC also faced criticism for cutting their live coverage before Irish rap trio Kneecap took the stage for a high-energy set with several references to Gaza and dozens of Palestinian flags waving in the crowd.

The broadcaster said it decided not to air Kneecap’s set over impartiality concerns, but made the set available on iPlayer – though with some edits.

The Irish group led the crowd in chants of “f*ck Keir Starmer,” after the Prime Minister said the group should not be allowed to perform at the festival, as well as chants of “free, free Palestine.”

The band drew immense crowds, and organisers had to cut off access to the stage 40 minutes before they began their set as it had reached capacity.

This drew comments from those watching the BBC’s coverage of the festival, accusing the broadcaster of censoring the band.

Sharing a picture of the BBC’s listing of acts to play the West Holts Stage, which excluded Kneecap, one viewer said: “BBC can’t even admit that Kneecap are playing Glastonbury. State censorship at its finest.”

BBC can’t even admit that Kneecap are playing Glastonbury. State censorship at its finest. pic.twitter.com/2FByZrjDQU — diarmaid keegan (@dkeego) June 28, 2025

Meanwhile, a Welsh woman named Helen Wilson went viral for streaming Kneecap’s entire set live from her TikTok account, holding her phone in the air for an hour.

She received 1.8 million likes, and said she might have burned her finger from holding her phone as it overheated.

Ms Wilson told the Irish News that the BBC’s decision not to broadcast Kneecap’s set live was a “deliberate act of silence”.

“This is about the genocide in Palestine – this is not even about this festival,” she told the newspaper, adding: “This is about this wide issue that everybody needs to sit up and take notice of.

“This festival has always stood for more than just music; I believe that Glastonbury is about freedom and a resistance, and people come to this festival who do believe that another world is possible.

“I don’t agree with artists being silenced – when institutions avoid politically outspoken artists, I think that it’s up to us, the fans, to make sure their voices are still heard.”

Kneecap member Mo Chara, whose real name is Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, has been charged with a terrorism offence after allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig in November last year.

He denies the charge.

Glastonbury organisers appalled at ‘death to IDF’ chant

| June 30, 2025

Organisers of the Glastonbury Festival have criticised chants by duo Bob Vylan.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Glastonbury organisers say they are appalled by on-stage chanting against the Israeli military during a performance at the festival by Punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.

During their show on Saturday, the duo chanted “Death, death, to the IDF” in reference to the Israel Defence Forces, the formal name of the Israeli military.

“There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech,” Starmer said.

“I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence,” he said.

“The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast.”

Police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation but did not name Bob Vylan or Irish rap band Kneecap, who appeared on the same stage and also criticised Israel.

“Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation,” Avon and Somerset Police, in western England where the festival is held, said on X late on Saturday.

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. pic.twitter.com/w2RQ4LdQf3 — Avon and Somerset Police (@ASPolice) June 28, 2025

The festival organisers criticised the chanting by Bob Vylan, which comprises the guitarist-singer with the stage name Bobby Vylan and a drummer known as Bobbie Vylan.

“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 anti-Semitism, hate speech or incitement to violence,” it said on Sunday.

The Israeli Embassy in the UK condemned the “inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed” on stage at the festival.

Bob Vylan’s band members did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The BBC said some of the comments made during Bob Vylan’s set were deeply offensive.

“During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language,” a spokesperson said.

“We have no plans to make the performance available on demand.”

Bob Vylan’s show on the festival’s West Holts stage took place just before controversial Irish rap trio Kneecap played to a huge crowd, leading chants against Starmer and also taking aim at Israel.

During the show, frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh accused Israel of committing war crimes, saying: “There’s no hiding it.”

Known by the stage name Mo Chara, he was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah at a concert.

He has denied the charge.

Starmer had said it was “not appropriate” for Kneecap to play at the festival.

A senior member of his government, Health Secretary Wes Streeting, earlier on Sunday criticised the chants by Bob Vylan but added that he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.

“I’d also say to the Israeli embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank,” Streeting told Sky News.

“I wish they’d take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously.”

with PA

Man killed and girl seriously injured in crash

Image source, Google Image caption, Police are appealing for information about the crash near Frisby on the Wreake

Author, Dan Martin Role, BBC News, Leicester

6 hours ago

A man was killed and a teenage girl seriously injured in a two-car crash near Frisby on the Wreake in Leicestershire, police have said.

Leicestershire Police said the crash, involving an orange BMW convertible and a Vauxhall Corsa, happened on the A607 at about 18:13 BST on Friday.

The driver of the Corsa, a man in his 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene, the force said.

The girl, a passenger in his car, was taken to hospital where she remains in a stable condition.

Detectives said two men, a 33-year-old and a 25-year-old, were arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous and driving while under the influence of alcohol.

Both have been released on bail as an investigation continues.

Det Sgt Mike Steer, from the force’s serious collision investigation unit, said the Corsa was travelling away from Melton Mowbray with the BMW coming from the other direction

He said: “We want to speak to anyone who saw this BMW driving in the minutes leading up to the collision.

“I also want to make a direct appeal to a HGV driver who we know was in the area when the collision happened.

“The dashcam in the vehicle may show exactly what happened.”

Get in touch Tell us which stories we should cover in Leicester Contact form

The prime minister has criticised chants of “death to the IDF” during a Glastonbury performance on Saturday, while festival organiser Emily Eavis said they had “very much crossed a line”.

Responding on Sunday to rap duo Bob Vylan’s set the day before, Sir Keir Starmer said: “There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech.”

In the same statement, the prime minister repeated his previous argument that the Belfast rap group Kneecap should have been removed from the line-up after one member was charged with a terrorism offence.

“I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence.

“The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast.”

On Sunday, Ms Eavis, whose father Michael co-founded the festival, posted her response to Bob Vylan’s performance.

“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.”

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The rappers’ set was streamed live on the BBC on Saturday, showing one of them shouting the slogan into the mic, with some of the crowd joining in.

They also performed in front of a screen that claimed Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to “genocide”.

Posting on Instagram on Sunday, drummer Bobby Vylan doubled down by repeating elements of the chant alongside a picture of himself.

Image: Both members of the band, Bobby and Bobbie Vylan, posted on Instagram following their set on Saturday. Pic: Instagram/Bobby Vylan

The Israeli embassy posted on X in the hours after the set saying it was “deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric”.

It said the slogan used “advocates for the dismantling of the State of Israel”.

The post on X added: “When such messages are delivered before tens of thousands of festivalgoers and met with applause, it raises serious concerns about the normalisation of extremist language and the glorification of violence.”

In a separate post on X on Sunday, Israel’s foreign ministry published graphic footage following the attack by Hamas on the Nova festival in Israel on 7 October 2023. The message directly appealed to those at Glastonbury who joined in the chants.

“On October 7th, Hamas terrorists murdered hundreds of innocent partygoers at the Nova festival. For those at the Glastonbury festival who need a reality check, let this footage serve as a reminder to what you are supporting.”

Meanwhile the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said it will be formally complaining to the BBC over its “outrageous decision” to broadcast the performance.

Avon and Somerset Police said they are looking at whether a criminal offence was committed.

“Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation,” the force said in a post on social media.

Bob Vylan’s set may have pushed things too far Gemma Peplow Culture and entertainment reporter @gemmapeplow Bob Vylan, a punk-rap duo known for their politically charged lyrics taking on racism, fascism, police brutality, toxic masculinity, inequality and more, performed on the festival’s third biggest stage, West Holts, with a capacity of about 30,000. They played to their own fans but no doubt thousands who had turned out to secure their place for the controversial Irish-language rappers Kneecap who followed. After the Bob Vylan performance was aired live, clips quickly flooded social media – shared by those supporting the band and condemning them. “The BBC didn’t cover Kneecap’s set at Glastonbury Festival over Free Palestine chants, so Bob Vylan, who BBC covered, stepped in,” posted the Celebrities4Palestine account alongside a clip on Instagram, also shared by Bob Vylan. The IDF comments on stage may well have been made regardless. Or did Kneecap’s “cancelling” by the BBC, as some people saw it, encourage other acts to speak out even more? Police are investigating both performances. Kneecap’s Naoise O Caireallain, who performs under the name Moglai Bap, at one point mentioned “a riot outside the courts” over his bandmate Liam Og O hAnnaidh’s (Mo Chara) upcoming second appearance on a terror charge, before clarifying: “No riots, just love and support, and support for Palestine.” With its history of activism, Glastonbury has always championed free speech. But it seems Bob Vylan’s set may have pushed things too far. It’s fair to say that here at Glastonbury, for most of the 200,000 people on site this weekend, it is still all about the music. The majority did not see these sets and many are not even aware of the criticism outside Worthy Farm. Today is the final day of artist performances, with acts including Olivia Rodrigo, Rod Stewart and the Prodigy on the bill. But instead of the magic of the most famous festival in the world, both organisers and the broadcaster are now facing more questions about Bob Vylan and, to a lesser extent, Kneecap, as criticism mounts.

Bob Vylan went on stage just ahead of a performance by Kneecap, the Irish rap band that the prime minister and others called to be removed from the Glastonbury and other festival line-ups over alleged on-stage endorsements of terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah.

Ultimately, the BBC decided not to broadcast Kneecap’s set live, but have since made it available to watch on catch-up on iPlayer.

One of its members, Liam Og O hAnnaidh, was charged with a terror offence in May after being accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig.

His bandmate Naoise O Caireallain told Glastonbury crowds on Saturday they should “start a riot outside the courts”, before clarifying: “No riots just love and support, and support for Palestine.”

O hAnnaidh – also known as Mo Chara – wore a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf for their set and told fans he was a “free man”.

Image: Moglai Bap and Mo Chara of Kneecap on stage on Saturday. Pic: Reuters

Questions over why BBC broadcast chants

The government’s culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to BBC boss Tim Davie for an “urgent explanation” about what steps were taken around the Bob Vylan set.

Speaking to Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips on behalf of the government, Health Secretary Wes Streeting described the chant as “appalling” and a “shameless publicity stunt”.

“The fact that we saw that chant at a music festival – when there were Israelis at a similar music festival who were kidnapped, murdered, raped, and in some cases still held captive,” he said in reference to the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack at the Nova music festival.

He added that while “there’s no justification for inciting violence against Israelis… the way in which Israel’s conducting this war has made it extremely difficult for Israel’s allies around the world to stand by and justify”.

“I’d also say to the Israeli embassy, get your own house in order, in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank,” he told Phillips.

Image: Palestinian flags at Glastonbury. Pic: Reuters

Meanwhile, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch reposted a clip of the Bob Vylan set describing it as “grotesque”.

“Violence against Jews isn’t edgy. The West is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked,” she said on X.

Lucy McMullin, who was in the crowd for Bob Vylan, told Sky News: “When there’s children and civilians being murdered and starved, then I think it’s important that people are speaking out on these issues.

“However, inciting more death and violence is not the way to do it.”

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A BBC spokesperson confirmed the Bob Vylan stream will not be made available to watch on its iPlayer.

“Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan’s set were deeply offensive,” their statement said.

“During this live stream 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.”

Sir Keir Starmer said chants of “death” to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) at Glastonbury were “appalling hate speech” and urged the BBC to explain how the scenes were broadcast.

Rapper Bobby Vylan, of rap punk duo Bob Vylan, on Saturday led crowds on the festival’s West Holts Stage in chants of “Free, free Palestine” and “Death, death to the IDF”, before a member of Irish rap trio Kneecap suggested fans “start a riot” at his bandmate’s forthcoming court appearance.

Responding to the chants from Bob Vylan, the Prime Minister said: “There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech.

Sir Keir Starmer condemned the chants (Paul Currie/PA)

“I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence.

“The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast.”

Avon and Somerset Police said video evidence would be assessed by officers “to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation”.

A joint Instagram post from Glastonbury and Emily Eavis said Bob Vylan’s chants “very much crossed a line” and added: “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.”

Wes Streeting told Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: “I thought it’s appalling, to be honest, and I think the BBC and Glastonbury have got questions to answer about how we saw such a spectacle on our screens.”

On social media, the Israeli Embassy said it was “deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival”.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the scenes “grotesque”, writing on X: “Glorifying violence against Jews isn’t edgy. The West is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked.”

Liberal Democrat culture, media and sport spokesman Max Wilkinson said: “Bob Vylan’s chants at Glastonbury yesterday were appalling. Cultural events are always a place for debate, but hate speech, antisemitism and incitements to violence have no place at Glastonbury or anywhere in our society.”

The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said it would be formally complaining to the BBC over its “outrageous decision” to broadcast Bob Vylan.

A spokesperson said: “Our national broadcaster must apologise for its dissemination of this extremist vitriol, and those responsible must be removed from their positions.”

A BBC spokesperson said: “Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan’s set were deeply offensive.

“During this live stream 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.”

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the scenes ‘grotesque’ (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to the BBC director general about Bob Vylan’s performance, a Government spokesperson said.

Bob Vylan, who formed in Ipswich in 2017, have released four albums with their music addressing issues to do with racism, masculinity and class.

Bobby Vylan’s real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, according to reports.

Robinson-Foster is listed on Companies House as being the director of Ghost Theatre Records, which is operated by Bob Vylan.

Kneecap, who hail from Belfast, have been in the headlines after member Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence.

The group performed after Vylan’s set on the West Holts Stage with O hAnnaidh exclaiming “Glastonbury, I’m a free man” as they took to the stage.

Crowds watch Kneecap performing on the West Holts Stage during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset (Ben Birchall/PA)

In reference to his bandmate’s forthcoming court date, Naoise O Caireallain, who performs under the name Moglai Bap, said they would “start a riot outside the courts”, before clarifying: “No riots just love and support, and support for Palestine”.

In the run-up to the festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset, several politicians called for the group to be removed from the line-up and Sir Keir said their performance would not be “appropriate”.

During the performance, Og O hAnnaidh said: “The Prime Minister of your country, not mine, said he didn’t want us to play, so f*** Keir Starmer.”

The group said a “big thank you to the Eavis family” and said “they stood strong” amid calls for the organisers to drop them from the line-up.

A BBC spokesperson said: “We have made an on-demand version of Kneecap’s performance available on iPlayer, as part of our online collection of more than 90 other sets.

“We have edited it to ensure the content falls within the limits of artistic expression in line with our editorial guidelines and reflects the performance from Glastonbury’s West Holts stage. As with all content which includes strong language, this is signposted with appropriate warnings.”