Bob Vylan’s U.S. Visas Revoked by Trump Administration After “Death to the IDF” Chant at Glastonbury


Bob Vylan have had their U.S. visas revoked by the Trump administration after the English punk duo’s frontman, who goes as Bobby Vylan, led a chant of “Loss of life, loss of life to the IDF” on the Glastonbury competition on Saturday, June 28, CNN reviews. The duo had already come underneath hearth from the British prime minster, Keir Starmer; Glastonbury organizers; and the BBC, which has apologized for livestreaming the mantra aimed on the Israeli Protection Forces. British police are investigating whether or not their feedback quantity to a legal act, BBC Information notes.

Bob Vylan have lengthy been vocal supporters of Palestine, notably in mild of the Israeli army’s continued assault on Gaza and the West Financial institution. A backdrop to the duo’s set learn messages equivalent to: “United Nations have known as it a genocide. The BBC calls it a ‘battle.’” On stage, Bobby Vylan informed the group, “Typically now we have to get our message throughout with violence as a result of that’s the one language some individuals communicate, sadly.” He later responded to the controversy on Instagram, citing a accountability to show “kids to talk up for the change they need and wish.” He added, “Allow them to see us marching within the streets, campaigning on floor degree, organising on-line and shouting about it on any and each stage that we’re provided.”

Bob Vylan had been resulting from tour the USA in October and November; these dates, naturally, are in jeopardy. Christopher Landau, the deputy secretary of state, wrote on X that the state division had “revoked the US visas for the members of the Bob Vylan band in mild of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, together with main the group in loss of life chants. Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred usually are not welcome guests to our nation.” Bob Vylan have additionally been dropped by United Expertise Company.

Glastonbury organizers posted on social media that they had been “appalled by the statements made out of the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan.” Dozens of different artists made pro-Palestinian remarks on the competition, and Palestinian flags had been a fixture among the many crowds, as Amyl and the Sniffers famous in an announcement defending Bob Vylan and Kneecap. However Bob Vylan’s chants “very a lot crossed a line,” in line with Glastonbury, whose organizers—together with a number of British politicians and the BBC—have introduced the group’s criticism of the Israeli army as antisemitic.

British police are additionally investigating Kneecap for his or her Glastonbury set, although it has not been specified what a part of the present is underneath scrutiny; Keir Starmer had known as for the group to be pulled from the Glastonbury lineup prematurely. In a uncommon break from customized, the BBC, which airs steady footage from Glastonbury’s fundamental phases, refused to broadcast Kneecap’s set, however later uploaded a largely unedited stream of the present to its iPlayer platform. Kneecap band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, higher often called Mo Chara, just lately appeared in court docket on a terror cost regarding the alleged show of a Hezbollah flag throughout a 2024 live performance.