Bob Vylan explodes over Glastonbury backlash: 'Remain silent'

Bob Vylan has broken its silence after a storm erupted over their Glastonbury set, claiming we are “being targeted for speaking up.”

For the unversed, UK punk group had led the chant “death to the IDF” during their weekend performance in Glastonbury, which sparked outrage on social media.

Taking to social media on Tuesday, July 1, the group wrote, “We are not for the death of jews, arabs or any other race or group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine. A machine whose own soldiers were told to use ‘unnecessary lethal force’ against innocent civilians waiting for aid. A machine that has destroyed much of Gaza.”

Notably, they were referring to a report from the Israeli news outlet Haaretz, which claimed IDF soldiers and officers were ordered to shoot at unarmed people near food aid sites in Gaza despite there being no threat and hundreds of Palestinians have been killed at those sites.

During their set, Bob Vylan also chanted slogans, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, but many people in the US and UK, including both countries' politicians, media commentators, and Jewish organisations, were upset by what the group said.

Police are now looking into the comments made by Bob Vylan and the Irish band Kneecap. The group’s US visas have been taken away, and they were dropped by their agency, UTA.

The BBC is also facing criticism for not stopping the livestream of the performance.

Responding to the ongoing criticism, the band added, “We, like those in the spotlight before us, are not the story. We are a distraction from the story. And whatever sanctions we receive will be a distraction. The government doesn’t want us to ask why they remain silent in the face of this atrocity? To ask why they aren’t doing more to stop the killing? To feed the starving?”

“Today, a good many people would have you believe a punk band is the number one threat to world peace. Last week it was a Palestine pressure group, the week before that it was another band. We are not for the death of jews, arabs or any other race or group of people.

“We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine. A machine whose own soldiers were told to use ‘unnecessary lethal force’ against innocent civilians waiting for aid. A machine that has destroyed much of Gaza.

“We, like those in the spotlight before us, are not the story. We are a distraction from the story. And whatever sanctions we receive will be a distraction.

“The government doesn’t want us to ask why they remain silent in the face of this atrocity? To ask why they aren’t doing more to stop the killing? To feed the starving?

“The more time they talk about Bob Vylan, the less time they spend answering for their criminal inaction.

“We are being targeted for speaking up. We are not the first. We will not be the last. And if you care for the sanctity of human life and freedom of speech, we urge you to speak up too.

“Free Palestine,” the statement concluded.