UK punk-rap duo Bob Vylan have been removed from the performance line-up of Kave Fest, a French music festival, following backlash over remarks made during their recent appearance at Glastonbury Festival.
The group had been scheduled to perform at the event in Gisors, north of Paris, on Sunday, 6 July. However, festival organisers confirmed to the BBC on Wednesday that the act had been dropped. A statement explaining the decision is expected to be released by the organisers later.
The controversy stems from Bob Vylan’s set on the West Holts stage at Glastonbury on Saturday, during which the frontman led chants of “death, death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces].” The performance sparked widespread condemnation across the political spectrum in the UK, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak describing it as “appalling hate speech.”
In response to the criticism, Bob Vylan issued a statement on Instagram on Tuesday, defending their remarks. “We are not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people,” they wrote. “We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine.”
The band also suggested they were being “targeted for speaking up,” stating that the media attention on them was a “distraction from the story” and that any sanctions they receive would shift focus from the broader issues they were raising.
The BBC also faced heavy criticism for live-streaming the performance on iPlayer. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirviscondemned the broadcast, calling it “the airing of vile Jew-hate at Glastonbury.” The broadcaster has since admitted fault in allowing the stream to continue.
In a statement, the BBC said: “The team were dealing with a live situation but with hindsight we should have pulled the stream during the performance. We regret this did not happen.”
Broadcast regulator Ofcom added to the growing concern, saying it was “very concerned” about the broadcast and that “the BBC clearly has questions to answer.”
Kave Fest’s upcoming statement is expected to shed more light on the decision to remove Bob Vylan from its programme.
Chioma Kalu
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