Wednesday, 02 July 2025

US strips band Bob Vylan of visas over antisemitic 'death chants' at UK Glastonbury Festival


“I said what I said.”

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The US Department of State has revoked entry visas for members of the British punk-rap group Bob Vylan, effectively barring the band from their upcoming tour in the United States. The decision comes after the band’s performance at Glastonbury, where the lead singer led the crowd in chants of “death to the IDF.”

Bob Vylan had been scheduled to join American-Canadian musician Grandson for an American tour beginning in October, with the first stop in Spokane, Washington.

Those plans will have to be canceled due to the recent action by the US.

“The State Department has revoked the U.S. visas for the members of the Bob Vylan band in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants,” Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said Monday, according to Politico. “Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.”

The BBC also faced backlash and issued a statement after airing the performance.

The broadcast, which included the lead singer stating “from the river to the sea, Palestine must be, will be, inshallah, it will be free,” sparked criticism from broadcast regulators all the way up to the prime minister of hte UK.

In a statement issued Monday, the BBC acknowledged its failure to act during the live set. "The team were dealing with a live situation but with hindsight we should have pulled the stream during the performance. We regret this did not happen."



The singer has been identified as Pascal Robinson-Foster. It has been discovered that Robinson-Foster grew up comfortably in eastern England. He operates two companies—Ghost Threatre Ltd. and Lvy Hill Ltd. He is a vegan, and he appears to also have two siblings, Paris and Porsche.

He also chanted “free, free Palestine,” and repeated the controversial phrase “from the river to the sea,” which calls for the elimination of the Israeli state. Advocates of the phrase say it reflects demands to end Israeli control over Palestinian territories.

Following the broadcast, Ofcom, the uK's office of communications, confirmed that it had contacted the BBC and was seeking further clarification. "We are very concerned about the live stream of this performance, and the BBC clearly has questions to answer," a spokesperson for the media regulator said. "We have been speaking to the BBC over the weekend and we are obtaining further information as a matter of urgency, including what procedures were in place to ensure compliance with its own editorial guidelines."

The BBC said that the performance included an oen-screen warning and would not be made available for replay on iPlayer.

It also said it would be reviewing its protocols. “In light of this weekend, we will look at our guidance around live events so we can be sure teams are clear on when it is acceptable to keep output on air,” the broadcaster said.

Glastonbury Festival organizers also condemned the performance. In an earlier statement, they said they were “appalled” and that the remarks “crossed a line.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the incident "hate speech." Lawmakers from multiple parties have criticized both the performer and the BBC’s handling of the broadcast.

Bob Vylan has played at major UK music festivals including Reading and Leeds and toured with bands such as The Offspring and Biffy Clyro. On Sunday, the group’s vocalist posted a defiant message on Instagram: “I said what I said.”

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