British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan have had their US visas revoked following their controversial performance at Glastonbury Festival, during which they led chants including “death to the IDF” in front of a live audience and millions watching via the BBC.
The group’s frontman, Pascal Robinson-Foster, known as Bobby Vylan, and drummer Bobbie Vylan were due to tour the US later this year, supporting rapper Grandson on the Inertia Tour, which begins in Spokane, Washington, on October 24.
However, the US State Department has revoked their visas because of "their hateful tirade” at Worthy Farm, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said.
The US tour has been plunged into chaos as it cannot go ahead without visas.
There are also reports the band have been dropped by their talent agency who are based in the US.
A senior State Department official earlier told US outlet The Daily Caller that under policies first introduced during the Trump administration, visas may be denied to those who express support for terrorist organisations.
While the State Department has not publicly commented, Republican congressman Randy Fine responded to calls for the musician to be barred from entering the country, posting online that he was “on it.”
The backlash comes after Bob Vylan’s primetime set on Glastonbury’s West Holts Stage, where they appeared before the Irish-language group Kneecap.
While Kneecap’s set was not broadcast live due to previous controversies involving its members, Bob Vylan’s was shown in full on BBC iPlayer.
During the performance, a large on-stage screen displayed a message accusing the BBC of misrepresenting the war in Gaza, and the group led the crowd in chanting, “Free, free Palestine” and “Death to the IDF.”
Bobby Vylan also used the performance to criticise the US and UK governments for what he described as complicity in “war crimes and genocide.” He made further inflammatory remarks about a former music industry colleague, using expletives and referring to “working for Zionists,” comments which drew boos from the crowd.
The performance has since been removed from BBC iPlayer. The broadcaster said a warning had been shown during the live stream about “very strong and discriminatory language” and confirmed it would not make the set available on demand. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has requested an urgent explanation from BBC Director-General Tim Davie.
The Israeli Embassy in London condemned the performance, accusing the band of promoting hate and glorifying violence.
In a statement, it said: “Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democracy. But when speech crosses into incitement, hatred, and advocacy of ethnic cleansing, it must be called out – especially when amplified by public figures on prominent platforms.
“Chants such as ‘Death to the IDF’ and ‘From the river to the sea’ are slogans that advocate for the dismantling of the State of Israel and implicitly call for the elimination of Jewish self-determination.”
Bobby Vylan later appeared to mock the backlash on social media, posting a picture of vegan ice cream with the caption: “While Zionists are crying on socials, I’ve just had late night (vegan) ice cream.”
