By Zara Woodcock
Punk duo Bob Vylan have released a statement saying they are being ‘targeted for speaking up’ after complaints were made about their set at Glastonbury Festival, which saw them chant “Death to the IDF”.
They said: “Not the first. Not the last. Today, 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.
“We 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 ‘unnecessary lethal forces’ against innocent civilians waiting for aid. A machine that has destroyed much of Gaza.”
They continued: “We, like those in the spotlight before us, are not the story. We are a distraction from the story. And whichever sanctions we receive will be a distraction. The government doesn’t want us to ask why they remain silent in the face of this atrocity. To ask why they aren’t doing more to stop the killing? To feed the starving?
“The more time they talk about Bob Vylan, the less time they spend answering for their criminal inaction. We 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. Free Palestine.”
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