Anti-Semitic Chants At Glastonbury Performance Sparks Outrage

British police are investigating a controversial performance by the rap-punk duo Bob Vylan at the Glastonbury Festival, where the band led chants criticized as hate speech by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The incident, which took place on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at the festival’s West Holts Stage, has ignited a firestorm of debate about free speech, antisemitism, and the role of public platforms in broadcasting inflammatory rhetoric.

A Provocative Performance

During their set at one of the UK’s largest music festivals, Bob Vylan’s frontman, Bobby Vylan, energized the crowd with chants of “Free, free Palestine” before escalating to a more contentious chant: “Alright, but have you heard this one though? Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defense Forces).” 

The performance, attended by tens of thousands and streamed live by the BBC, also featured a backdrop message that read: “United Nations have called it a genocide. The BBC calls it a ‘conflict,’” challenging the broadcaster’s coverage of the Israel-Palestine situation. The chants and visuals drew immediate backlash. 

The Israeli Embassy in the UK expressed being “deeply disturbed” by what it described as “inflammatory and hateful” rhetoric, warning that such statements risk “the normalisation of extremist language and the glorification of violence.” The embassy called on festival organizers, artists, and UK leaders to condemn the remarks and reject all forms of hatred.

Official Responses and Investigations

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer swiftly condemned the chants as “appalling hate speech,” urging the BBC to explain why the performance was broadcast live. Glastonbury Festival organizers issued a statement expressing they were “appalled” by Vylan’s remarks, emphasizing that “there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence.” 

They noted that the chants “very much crossed a line” and are reminding all involved in the festival’s production of their policies against such behavior. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said that the "irony of that music festival is that Israelis were taken from a music festival, killed, raped and in some cases are still being held captive".

The BBC, which aired the set live on its iPlayer platform, acknowledged on Monday, June 30, 2025, that it should have stopped the stream during the performance. 

“With hindsight,” the broadcaster stated, the performance should have been pulled, adding that “the antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves.” The BBC has since removed the performance from its on-demand iPlayer service and has no plans to make it available again. British police are now reviewing video footage of the performance to determine if the chants constitute a criminal offense, such as incitement to violence or hate speech under UK law. 

The investigation follows public and official outcry, with broadcasting regulator Ofcom stating that the BBC “clearly has questions to answer” over its handling of the live stream.

A Polarizing Conflict

The Israel-Palestine conflict has been a polarizing topic at cultural events, with artists increasingly using different platforms to voice their political views.

The incident has fueled discussions about the boundaries of free speech at public events. Supporters of Bob Vylan argue that their performance was an exercise of artistic expression and a call for justice in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Critics argue that targeting the IDF with chants of “death” crosses into antisemitic territory and risks inciting violence.