BBC apologizes for broadcast of Bob Vylan's controversial Glastonbury set

The BBC issued a ceremonial apology aft broadcasting a arguable show from the rap-punk radical Bob Vylan astatine England’s Glastonbury festival.

Bob Vylan — outspoken critics of Israel’s warfare connected Gaza — led its assemblage astatine past weekend’s festival successful a chant of “Death to the IDF,” oregon Israel Defense Forces.

The BBC’s director- wide Tim Davie wrote to unit successful an interior memo connected Thursday. “I profoundly regret that specified violative and deplorable behaviour appeared connected the BBC and privation to accidental atrocious — to our assemblage and to each of you, but successful peculiar to Jewish colleagues and the Jewish community,” Davie said. “We are unequivocal that determination tin beryllium nary spot for antisemitism astatine the BBC.”

The broadcaster announced respective argumentation changes for aboriginal festival broadcasts, including keeping “high risk” acts disconnected unrecorded broadcasts and unrecorded streams.

Bob Vylan’s acceptable led to immoderate backlash wrong the euphony manufacture and beyond. The comments prompted section constabulary to unfastened a transgression investigation, and the band’s U.S. visas were revoked for its upcoming performances. The band’s agency, UTA, reportedly dropped them arsenic well.

The band’s singer, who performs arsenic Bobby Vylan, wrote connected Instagram aft the acceptable that “teaching our children to talk up for the alteration they privation and request is the lone mode that we marque this satellite a amended place,” adding, “Let them spot america marching successful the streets, campaigning connected crushed level, organising online and shouting astir it connected immoderate and each signifier that we are offered.”

The Northern Irish rap trio Kneecap, a chap Glastonbury performer, has besides travel nether scrutiny for its outspoken disapproval of Israel’s warfare connected Gaza. The band’s Glastonbury acceptable was not broadcast live. The group’s Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs arsenic Mo Chara, had been charged with supporting a proscribed enactment for allegedly waving a emblem from the panic radical Hezbollah astatine a London performance successful 2024 (Chara denied the charge). U.K. prosecutors besides precocious dropped charges against Kneecap aft a 2023 performance wherever Chara allegedly said, “The lone bully Tory is simply a dormant Tory. Kill your section MP.”