4 hours ago
4
The US State Department has revoked Bob Vylan’s visas “in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants.”
The announcement was made Monday by US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who added, “Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.”
Additionally, Bob Vylan have reportedly been dropped by United Talent Agency.
The news comes following Bob Vylan’s performance at Glastonbury over the weekend, during which the hip-hop duo led chants of “Free Palestine” and “Death to the IDF,” to an enthusiastic crowd. In response to the chants, they added, “Hell yeah — from the river to the sea, Palestine must be, will be, inshallah, it will be free.”
At another point, the duo displayed a message on the screen behind them that read, “Free Palestine. United Nations have called it a genocide. The BBC calls it a ‘conflict.’”
Bob Vylan’s comments were quickly condemned by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who called the remarks “appalling hate speech.” Glastonbury organizer Emily Eavis said she was “appalled” by the chants, adding that “there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech, or incitement to violence.” The BBC, which aired Bob Vylan’s performance, said, “The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves. We welcome Glastonbury’s condemnation of the performance.” Meanwhile, Avon and Somerset Police have launched a criminal investigation into both Bob Vylan’s and Kneecap’s performances at Glastonbury. “A senior detective has been appointed to lead this investigation,” a spokesperson said. “This has been recorded as a public order incident at this time while our enquiries are at an early stage.”
Despite the condemnation and the loss of their visas — which will undoubtedly impact Bob Vylan’s US tour scheduled for later this year — the group appears to have no regrets. In a statement posted to Instagram late Sunday night, Bobby Vylan wrote, “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.” He captioned the post, “I said what I said.”
English (US) · 