London, 30 June 2025 (PA Media/dpa/MIA) - UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said chants of “death” to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) at Glastonbury were “appalling hate speech” and urged the BBC to explain how the scenes were broadcast.

Rapper Bobby Vylan, of rap punk duo Bob Vylan, on Saturday led crowds on the festival’s West Holts Stage in chants of “Free, free Palestine” and “Death, death to the IDF,” before a member of Irish rap trio Kneecap suggested fans “start a riot” at his bandmate’s forthcoming court appearance.

Responding to the chants from Bob Vylan at Britain's top music festival, the prime minister said in a statement on Sunday: “There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech.

“I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence.

“The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast.”

Police said video evidence would be assessed by officers “to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation.”

A joint Instagram post from Glastonbury and organizer Emily Eavis said Bob Vylan’s chants “very much crossed a line” and added: “We are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence.”

On social media, the Israeli Embassy said it was “deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival.”

A BBC spokesperson said: “Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan’s set were deeply offensive.

“During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language. We have no plans to make the performance available on demand.”

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to the BBC director general about Bob Vylan’s performance, a government spokesperson said.

Bob Vylan, who formed in Ipswich in 2017, have released four albums with their music addressing issues to do with racism, masculinity and class.

Bobby Vylan’s real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, according to reports.

Kneecap, who hail from Belfast, have been in the headlines after member Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence after making alleged anti-Israeli comments earlier this year.

The group performed after Vylan’s set on the West Holts Stage with O hAnnaidh exclaiming “Glastonbury, I’m a free man” as they took to the stage.

In reference to his bandmate’s forthcoming court date, Naoise O Caireallain, who performs under the name Moglai Bap, said they would “start a riot outside the courts,” before clarifying: “No riots just love and support, and support for Palestine.”

In the run-up to the famous festival in western England, several politicians called for the group to be removed from the line-up and Starmer said their performance would not be “appropriate.”

During Saturday's set, Caireallain said: “The prime minister of your country, not mine, said he didn’t want us to play, so f*** Keir Starmer.”

He also said a “big thank you to the Eavis family” and said “they stood strong” amid calls for the organizers to drop them from the line-up.

Photo: X and epa