Police in the UK say they are assessing video footage of Kneecap’s and Bob Vylan’s respective sets at Glastonbury on Saturday to “determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation.” Both acts voiced their support for Palestine and condemned Israel’s actions.
During their set, Kneecap led the crowd in chants of “Fuck [UK Prime Minister] Keir Starmer” and “Free, free Palestine.” They also told the crowd to “start a riot outside the courts” during band member Mo Chara’s upcoming hearings in the UK, where he faces a terror charge. They later clarified: “No riots — just love and support, and support for Palestine.”
Meanwhile, Bob Vylan led chants of “Free Palestine” and “Death to the IDF.” At another point in their set, the duo displayed a message on the screen behind them that read: “Free Palestine. The United Nations have called it a genocide. The BBC calls it a ‘conflict.’” Ironically, while the BBC chose not to broadcast Kneecap’s set in hopes of avoiding controversy, they aired Bob Vylan’s instead.
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The UK’s Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, quickly condemned both Bob Vylan’s and Kneecap’s performances at Glastonbury, and has reportedly received assurances that Bob Vylan’s set won’t be available for rebroadcast on the BBC’s iPlayer. In its own statement, the Israeli embassy in Britain said it was “deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival”.
In a social media post, Avon and Somerset Police said, “Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed [by either act] that would require a criminal investigation.