Bob Vylan have been targeted by US Republicans and pro-Israel groups following their Glastonbury performance [Getty/file photo]
US Republican officials and pro-Israel lobbyists are seeking a ban on UK punk rap duo Bob Vylan entering the country for an upcoming tour, after the band led pro-Palestine and anti-Israeli army chants at Glastonbury on Saturday.
The duo, composed of frontman “Bobby Vylan”, real name Pascal Robinson-Foster, and drummer “Bobbie Vylan”, are set to embark on a US tour starting in October and November in support of US singer Grandson.
An unnamed State Department official told conservative outlet The Daily Wire on Sunday that they are “looking at [the] revocation” of the visas for the group after they chanted “Death to the IDF” at the music festival.
“Under the Trump Administration, the US government will not issue visas to any foreigner who supports terrorists,” the spokesperson reportedly said.
Bob Vylan have also been targeted by the ‘Stop Antisemitism’ group – a privately-funded US organisation that claims to highlight alleged global antisemitic incidents.
‘Stop Antisemitism’ is infamous for conflating legitimate criticism of Israel with antisemitism and is accused of doxxing individuals after accusing them of being antisemitic.
Last April, the group accused children’s entertainer and Youtuber Ms. Rachel of “promoting Hamas propaganda”, after she shared content highlighting the plight of Gaza’s children amid war.
‘Stop Antisemitism’ called for Bobby Vylan, one half of the duo, to have his visa for the US rescinded.
Leo Terrell, a Senior Counsel at the US Justice Department and chair of the DOJ Task Force to combat antisemitism, took to X to confirm that his Task Force will “reach out to the US Department of State to prevent the promotion of violence antisemitic rhetoric” in the US.
Bobby Vylan made several pro-Palestinian statements on stage during a performance on Saturday at the famous UK festival.
The singer went viral for leading a “Death, death to the IDF” chant in reference to the Israeli army, and also called for the liberation of the Palestinian territories with the popular slogan “From the river to sea, Palestine will be free”.Â
Israel has been waging a genocidal war in the Gaza Strip since October 2023 killing over 56,000 Palestinians according to the Palestinian health ministry. Other estimates have given much higher figures and there are tens of thousands of uncounted victims trapped under the rubble.
Israel has also occupied the West Bank since 1967, frequently raiding its towns and villages and expanding settlements and outposts – illegal under international law.
Over 900 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank since 7 October, in parallel with the war in Gaza.
During their set, the London-based duo also had the following statement written in the background: “Free Palestine. United Nations have called it a genocide. The BBC calls it a conflict.”
Bobby Vylan’s “Death, death to the IDF” chant prompted criticism from several UK politicians and pro-Israel groups. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the remarks “appalling hate speech,” while UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy demanded an explanation from the BBC for why it broadcast the performance.
Pro-Palestinian activists, however, praised Bob Vylan’s statements and thanked them for using their platform to speak out against Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip.
The BBC though said that Bob Vylan’s broadcast should have been pulled “in hindsight,” and expressed “regret” over showing their set, in a statement on Monday.
UK police are assessing video footage from Saturday’s performance, after publishing a statement saying they were “aware” of comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury on Saturday.
“Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offence may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation,” Avon and Somerset Police said in reference to Bob Vylan, as well as Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap on Saturday.
Bob Vylan, who refer to themselves as ‘The Bobs’, are a London-based English punk-rap duo, who formed in Ipswich in 2017. They have previously performed at the Reading and Leeds festivals and toured with bands such as the Offspring, the Hives, and Biffy Clyro.
Topics such as racism, homophobia, police violence and gentrification feature heavily in their lyrics.
Bobby Vylan defended his actions in a statement posted on his Instagram account on Sunday.
He wrote a post explaining the importance of political activism and speaking up for what’s right, and setting the right example for younger generations to come, including his daughter. He accompanied his post with the caption: “I said what I said,” in defiance of the media uproar and online frenzy in the UK.
