LONDON – The British police are reviewing footage from the Glastonbury Festival in which a band encouraged chants of “death to the IDF,” referring to the Israel Defense Forces.
Rapper Bobby Vylan, of rap punk duo Bob Vylan, led crowds attending the festival in chants of “free, free Palestine” and “death, death to the IDF.”
Officers from Avon and Somerset Police are analyzing the video evidence to see if any actions merit a criminal investigation.
The Israeli Embassy in the U.K. expressed significant concern on social media, condemning the aggressive and hateful language used on stage at the festival.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting on Sunday condemned the band’s actions as “appalling.” He told Sky News that the BBC and festival organizers had to answer questions about how the comments were broadcast live to millions.
The government said Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to the BBC director general about Bob Vylan’s performance.
The BBC said it issued a warning on screen about “very strong and discriminatory language” during the live stream.
Saturday’s festival lineup also included Irish-language rap group Kneecap, which gave an impassioned performance for tens of thousands of fans despite criticism by British politicians and a terror charge for one of the trio.
Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, has been charged under the Terrorism Act with supporting a proscribed organization for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a concert in London in November.
The rapper, who was charged under the anglicized version of his name, Liam O’Hanna, is on unconditional bail before a further court hearing in August.
The group has faced criticism for lyrics laden with expletives and drug references, and for political statements, especially since videos emerged allegedly showing the band shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” and calling on people to kill lawmakers.
On Saturday band members led the audience in chants of “Free Palestine” and “Free Mo Chara.” They also aimed an expletive-laden chant at U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has said he didn’t think it was “appropriate” for Kneecap to play Glastonbury.
About 200,000 ticket holders have turned up in southwest England for Britain’s most prestigious summer music festival, which features almost 4,000 performers on 120 stages.
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