Bob Vylan dropped from Manchester festival after controversial Glastonbury performance

British punk duo Bob Vylan have been dropped from the line-up of a Manchester music festival following their controversial appearance at Glastonbury last week. They were scheduled to perform as one of the headline acts at Radar Festival on Saturday, but organisers officially announced their performance had been cancelled.

The group was also set to appear at Kave Fest in France on Sunday. However, organisers told the BBC that Bob Vylan’s appearance there had also been cancelled.

The decision follows a controversial moment during their Glastonbury set, where the band’s frontman led the crowd in chants of “Death to the IDF (Israel Defense Forces)”. The statement drew criticism from across the political spectrum, including the UK Prime Minister, who labelled it as “appalling hate speech.”

On Tuesday, Bob Vylan responded on Instagram, stating they had been “targeted for speaking out.” They wrote:
“We are not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine.”

They added:
“We are not the story. We are a distraction. Any punishment we receive is just another distraction from the real issue.”

Organisers of Kave Fest in the French town of Gisors said they would later release a statement explaining their decision.

A concert venue in Germany also confirmed that Bob Vylan will no longer be the opening act for Gogol Bordello in Cologne this September.

The Glastonbury performance was live-streamed via BBC iPlayer, which led to criticism of the broadcaster.

The UK’s Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis condemned the broadcast, calling it “a platform for vile Jew-hate.”

The BBC responded:
“The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves.”

In a Monday statement, the corporation added:
“The team was managing a live situation, but in hindsight, the stream should have been pulled during the performance. We regret this did not happen.”

Broadcast regulator Ofcom also commented: “We are very concerned about the broadcast. The BBC clearly has questions to answer.” Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!