US revokes visas of Bob Vylan, UK launches criminal probe over ‘Death to IDF’ chant

The American rap group Bob Vylan, known for blending hip-hop with anti-establishment messaging, faced backlash after chanting pro-Palestinian slogans during a live performance at the Glastonbury Festival in the UK. The group had their US visas revoked, while British authorities launched a criminal investigation into the incident.

During their set at Glastonbury, which was broadcast live by the BBC, two members of the group chanted, “Death, death to the IDF” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine must be, will be, inshallah, it will be free.”

The performance triggered controversy online, with pro-Israel groups and media outlets accusing the group of inciting hatred and promoting antisemitism.

The BBC later issued a statement acknowledging the incident, stating that the live stream could have been cut earlier to avoid broadcasting politically charged content.

In the US, officials have accused Bob Vylan of antisemitism over their vocal solidarity with Palestine amid the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza.

Read: Irish MMA fighter chants ‘Free Palestine’ after beating Israeli opponent

However, the State Department has not yet clarified which members of the group had their visas revoked, what type of visas were affected, or whether the move will impact their upcoming US tour scheduled for November.

Bob Vylan was dropped by his agency, they cancelled his visa ahead of his US tour, the UK and US governments denounced him as an evil violent monster, the BBC apologized for airing his set. Why? Because he said death to the genocidal Israeli rape-army that is mass killing babies pic.twitter.com/2Vh3acq7Q4

— ☀️👀 (@zei_squirrel) June 30, 2025

Following the backlash, Bobby Vylan responded defiantly on Instagram, “I said what I said... Teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need is the only way we make this world a better place.”

Meanwhile, UK authorities launched a criminal probe into the performances of Bob Vylan and Irish rap group Kneecap, to determine whether any of their remarks fall under hate speech or incitement to violence under British law.

UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy also weighed in on the controversy, criticising Bob Vylan’s performance and the BBC’s failure to cut the live broadcast. She stated that she had contacted the broadcaster's director general to question why the performance was allowed to continue.