By Michael Howie
Punk band Bob Vylan have said they are being 鈥渢argeted for speaking up鈥 after it was revealed police are investigating anti-Israel comments during their controversial Glatonbury show.
In a fresh statement issued on Tuesday, the act said the storm around the performance – which saw lead singer Bobby Vylan lead the audience chants of 鈥榙eath to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)鈥 and 鈥楩ree, free Palestine鈥- was a 鈥渄istraction鈥 from Israel鈥檚 military campaign in Gaza.
The performance at the West Holts Stage was livestreamed by the BBC but the organisation later expressed regret for not stopping its broadcast of the 鈥渦nacceptable鈥 set.
The comments were branded antisemitic and are being probed by Avon and Somerset Police.
The Bob Vylan statement said: 鈥淭oday, a good many people would have you believe a punk band is the number one threat to world peace. Last week it was a Palestine pressure group, the week before that it was another band.
鈥淲e are not for the death of jews, arabs or any other race or group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine. A machine whose own soldiers were told to use 鈥渦nnecessary lethal force鈥 against innocent civilians waiting for aid.
鈥淎 machine that has destroyed much of Gaza.
鈥淲e, like those in the spotlight before us, are not the story. We are a distraction from the story. And whatever sanctions we receive will be a distraction.
鈥淭he government doesn鈥檛 want us to ask why they remain silent in the face of this atrocity? To ask why they aren鈥檛 doing more to stop the killing? To feed the starving?
鈥淭he more time they talk about Bob Vylan, the less time they spend answering for their criminal inaction.
鈥淲e are being targeted for speaking up. We are not the first. We will not be the last. And if you care for the sanctity of human life and freedom of speech, we urge you to speak up too.
鈥淔ree Palestine.鈥
The Israel-Hamas war was launched after Hamas militants attacked Israeli communities and military bases, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage on October 7, 2023.
Since then more than 56,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory鈥檚 Hamas-run health ministry.
It emerged on Tuesday that the BBC鈥檚 director-general, Tim Davie, was at Glastonbury Festival when Bob Vylan delivered the tirade.
A BBC spokesperson said: 鈥淭he director-general was informed of the incident after the performance and at that point he was clear it should not feature in any other Glastonbury coverage.鈥
The news of Mr Davie鈥檚 presence at the festival comes as the Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis berated the BBC for what he called 鈥渢he airing of vile Jew-hatred鈥 and the broadcaster鈥檚 鈥渂elated and mishandled response鈥.
The corporation has faced strong criticism for continuing to livestream the performance on iPlayer with on-screen warnings about discriminatory language.
Broadcasting regulator Ofcom saying it was 鈥渧ery concerned鈥 by the decision and the Culture Secretary claimed the issue should have been foreseeable and constituted 鈥渁 problem of leadership鈥 for the BBC.