THE BBC has put out a grovelling statement saying it “should have pulled” a stream of Bob Vylan’s controversial Glastonbury performance.
The broadcaster described the set as containing “utterly unacceptable” and “anti-Semitic sentiments,” yet it did not apologize for its decision to keep the feed running.
The live stream of the punk rap act continued for another 40 minutes following the offensive remarks against Israel during the Saturday afternoon performance.
However, a warning was displayed on screen and the footage was later removed from the iPlayer.
Rapper Bobby Vylan, one half of the duo, shouted “death to the IDF” and declared “from the river to the sea Palestine…will be free,” a phrase perceived by many in the Jewish community as advocating for the elimination of Israel.
It comes as shadow home secretary Chris Philp called for the rapper to be “arrested and prosecuted immediately”, calling it an example of a two-tier justice system.
Mr Philp demanded the rapper be treated in a similar fashion to Lucy Connolly, the Tory councillor’s wife who was jailed for tweets in the aftermath of the Southport murders last summer – and still remains behind bars.
Prior to the BBC’s statement, broadcast regulator Ofcom, which is conducting its own probe, said it was “very concerned” by the performance, adding: “The BBC clearly has questions to answer.”
While last night PM Sir Keir Starmer demanded an explanation from director-general Tim Davie, saying: “There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech.”
The Beeb’s statement said: “Millions of people tuned in to enjoy Glastonbury this weekend across the BBC’s output but one performance within our live streams included comments that were deeply offensive.
“The BBC respects freedom of expression but stands firmly against incitement to violence.
“The anti-Semitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves.
“We welcome Glastonbury’s condemnation of the performance.
“The performance was part of a live stream of the West Holts stage on BBC iPlayer.
“The judgement on Saturday to issue a warning on screen while streaming online was in line with our editorial guidelines.
“In addition, we took the decision not to make the performance available on demand.
“The team were dealing with a live situation but with hindsight we should have pulled the stream during the performance. We regret this did not happen.
“In light of this weekend, we will look at our guidance around live events so we can be sure teams are clear on when it is acceptable to keep output on air.”
Avon and Somerset Police said yesterday it was investigating.
Former minister Mr Philp told the Daily Telegraph: “It seems very clear that this man was directly inciting violence.
“He should receive the same treatment under the law as others, such as Lucy Connolly.
“He should be arrested and prosecuted immediately. A failure to do so would be a clear example of two-tier justice under Sir Keir Starmer and his attorney general, Lord Hermer.”
Connolly posted comments on her X account just hours after evil Axel Rudakubana murdered three girls in the Merseyside town on July 29 last year.
Connolly, 41, shared a call to arms following the deaths of Bebe King, six, nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, last July.
Posts wrongly claimed monster Rudakubana was a Muslim asylum seeker when he was actually born in Cardiff and raised Christian.
However, her punishment sparked fury across the political divide.
Furious Brits noted that despite the former child minder quickly deleting her post, she remains in prison while paedos such as Hugh Edwards escaped jail time.
‘Explain how these scenes came to be broadcast’
PM Mr Starmer had previously said that controversial act Kneecap should be taken off the bill, with one member facing a terror charge for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a concert.
Sir Keir last night said: “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.”
He was backed by his Health Secretary Wes Streeting who said the corporation had “questions to answer”.
BBC bosses had already said that Kneecap’s performance wouldn’t be shown live on Saturday afternoon but act Bob Vylan – on stage before them – caught them unawares.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy contacted Mr Davie asking for an “urgent explanation” as to what checks had been made in advance of their appearance.
Critics last night demanded BBC chiefs be sacked for broadcasting anti-Israel jibes which descended into a “sickening hate rally”.
Glastonbury was turned into a sickening hate rally. You have to ask just what on earth the BBC is doing with our licence fee? They send hundreds of BBC staff to cover Glastonbury, but no one did anything to stop this easily foreseeable incident being broadcast?
Lord Astin
Lord Austin said: “Glastonbury was turned into a sickening hate rally.
“You have to ask just what on earth the BBC is doing with our licence fee?
“They send hundreds of BBC staff to cover Glastonbury, but no one did anything to stop this easily foreseeable incident being broadcast?”
He urged Director-General Tim Davie to launch an urgent probe and swing the axe at those who are responsible.
He called the incident that totally overshadowed the three-day event as a “very dark day” for the corporation.
He added that the incident “calls its very purpose and future into question, if it can’t stand up for British values and instead gives a platform to extremists”.
Meanwhile, shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel said the whole incident raises the prospect of whether the BBC should call itself the national broadcaster.
She said: “Glastonbury and the BBC are inciting murder and terrorist violence against Jewish people.
“We are witnessing dangerous extremes in our country of intolerance towards the Jewish community which is unacceptable and should never ever be tolerated.
“This display of invective and hatred has highlighted again, the BBC’s editorial failings on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias which are now so consistently widespread we need change at the BBC – they no longer hold the respectability to claim the mantle of our national broadcaster.”
Members of the Commons’ Culture select committee will meet tomorrow to discuss when BBC bosses come before members to be quizzed.
Chair Caroline Dinenage said the matter raises “questions about live broadcast/delays and editorial decision making on the fly”.
Telly personality and criminal barrister Rob Rinder said: “You can stand for Palestinian rights without denying Jewish ones.
“You can oppose a government without wishing away a people.
“If your activism leaves no room for someone else’s safety, grief or history it’s not activism. It’s hate.”
But former Cabinet Minister Lord Hain said it wasn’t a time to “fret” over the performance and the language used.
But Glastonbury and organiser Emily Eavis said it was also “urgently reminding” everyone involved in the festival there was no room for “anti-Semitism, hate speech or incitement to violence”.
They added in a statement that they stood against all forms of war and terrorism.
Former BBC executive Danny Cohen said regulator OFCOM should intervene and an investigation led by the corporations’s Board led by Chairman Samir Shah.
But Avon and Somerset Police said video evidence is being assessed “to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation”.
Former Cabinet Minister Lord Hain insisted it wasn’t a time to “fret” over the performance and the language used.
He said: “I don’t think we should fret too much about this, I think we should simply be grown up about it and say, yeah, people are saying things that we don’t agree with, but that’s music, it’s said and it’s gone amidst a few loud drum beats.”
The controversy came after one member of Kneecap also used their performance on the West Holts stage to suggest fans “start a riot” at bandmate Liam O’Hanna’s next court date.
But there will be no charges brought in relation to a November 2023 appearance by the group where they say “the only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP” which was caught on video.
A BBC spokesperson last night 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.”
An Ofcom spokesperson said: “We are very concerned about the live stream of this performance, and the BBC clearly has questions to answer.
“We have been speaking to the BBC over the weekend and we are obtaining further information as a matter of urgency, including what procedures were in place to ensure compliance with its own editorial guidelines.”
