BBC “Regrets” Not Pulling Bob Vylan Glastonbury Set Livestream With “Antisemitic Sentiments”

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The BBC acknowledges and expresses regret over failing to halt the live broadcast of Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury performance where they called out “death, death to the Israeli Defense Forces.” It is important to note that IDF stands for the Israeli Defense Forces.

On Monday, as the U.K.’s largest music festival was wrapping up, I, a devoted fan, learned that the television partner shared their post-event statement. This announcement came just hours after the captivating performance of American sensation Olivia Rodrigo, who closed the festival with her headline set.

The BBC faced a barrage of criticism due to broadcasting an offensive set during their livestream. “Many viewers tuned in over the weekend to experience Glastonbury on the BBC, but one act on our live streams contained remarks that were extremely disrespectful.”

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The BBC received widespread condemnation for airing an offensive performance on its livestream. “Millions of people watched Glastonbury over the weekend through the BBC’s programming, but one act within our live broadcasts made comments that were highly disrespectful.

The corporation stated, “The BBC values freedom of speech, but strongly disapproves of inciting violence. The offensive antisemitic remarks made by Bob Vylan were completely unsuitable and should not be aired. We appreciate Glastonbury’s criticism of the performance.

On Saturday, the decision to display a warning during streaming aligned with BBC’s editorial policies. Additionally, they chose not to offer a replay of the broadcast. In retrospect, they wish they had paused the stream during the performance. Unfortunately, this action was not taken, and they express their regret for the oversight.

Based on recent events, the BBC plans to reevaluate their guidelines for live broadcasts to ensure that all teams fully understand when it’s appropriate to continue airing content.

Through a post on Instagram, Bobby Vylan (one-half of the rap duo) expressed: “Empowering our kids to voice their desired and essential changes is the key to improving our world… As we advance in age and the flame of youth might slowly fade under the pressures of adulthood and its duties, it becomes crucial that we motivate and ignite the spirit of change within future generations, carrying on the torch we were given.

As a devoted Glastonbury fan, I wholeheartedly agree with Emily Eavis’s stand against the offensive chants directed towards the IDF. She rightly pointed out that such expressions exceeded acceptable boundaries and emphasized the necessity of upholding our values at Glastonbury Festival. This includes unequivocally rejecting antisemitism, hate speech, and any form of incitement to violence. Let’s keep our community vibrant, inclusive, and respectful. #GlastonburyValues

Eavis went on to say: “As a festival, we firmly oppose any form of war and terrorism. We are strong advocates for hope, unity, peace, and love. However, a performer’s comments should never be interpreted as an implicit approval of their views. With approximately 4,000 performances at Glastonbury 2025, it is inevitable that artists and speakers with differing opinions will appear on our stages.

U.K. prime minister Keir Starmer was among the critics of Bob Vylan’s set.

This year’s event was filled with political tension. Typically, Glastonbury appeals to a crowd with liberal views, but this year, the divisive politics of the present day were especially noticeable. Additionally, on Saturday, the Irish rap group Kneecap expressed their support for Palestine and criticized the governments of the U.K., U.S., and U.S. media during their performance.

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2025-06-30 14:24