Featured Image Credit: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images / Instagram/@bobbyvylan
Topics: Politics, Israel, World News, UK News, News, Music, Celebrity, Glastonbury, Festivals
Rhiannon Ingle
Topics: Politics, Israel, World News, UK News, News, Music, Celebrity, Glastonbury, Festivals
The singer from Bob Vylan has issued a statement following his chants made during the band's Glastonbury performance over the weekend.
The English punk-rap duo is comprised of duo Bobby Vylan on guitar and vocals, as well as Bobbi Vylan on drums with both members using such stage names to maintain their privacy, collectively referring to themselves as 'the Bobs.'
During their performance, Bobby accused Israel of committing war crimes and a genocide against Palestinians, before leading the festival audience in chants of 'Free, Free Palestine', 'From the river to the sea, Palestine must be, will be, free' and 'Death, Death To The IDF (Israel Defense Forces)' as fans waved Palestinian flags throughout the heaving crowd.
Bobby is just one of the several artists at the music festival who showed solidarity with Palestine including Irish rap trio Kneecap, Joy Crookes, Turnstile, CMAT, Jordan Stephens, Inhaler and Nadine Shah.
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The IDF is Israel's national military which, just last month, killed at least 36 children in a school housing displaced people in Gaza.
It has been accused of killing aid workers and murdering journalists and has also launched its own inquiry into claims it has opened fire at Palestinian civilians trying to secure food and other emergency supplies.
According to the IDF, its directives 'prohibit deliberate attacks on civilians.'
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who currently has a warrant out for his arrest by the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, has described the IDF as 'the most moral military in the world.'
Following the Saturday performance (28 June), which the BBC streamed live but has not put on iPlayer, Glastonbury organisers responded: "We are appalled by the statements made from the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan yesterday.
"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."
Political commentator Ash Sarkar, who is also senior editor at Novara Media, has since pointed out: "Don't book punk bands if you don't want them to do punk stuff."
Taking to Instagram on Sunday (29 June), Bobby penned in a text post: "As I lay in bed this morning, my phone buzzing non stop, inundated with messages of both support and hatred, I 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."
He continued: "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."
Bobby concluded the statement writing: "Today it is a change in school dinners, tomorrow it is a change in foreign policy."