The US Ambassador to the UK, Warren Stephens, has strongly denounced a controversial chant heard at this year’s Glastonbury Festival, calling it “antisemitic” and unacceptable.
The chant, which targeted the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), was led by punk band Bob Vylan during a live set, broadcast on the BBC over the weekend.
“The antisemitic chants led by Bob Vylan at Glastonbury were a disgrace,” Stephens posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday. “There should be no place for this hateful incitement or tolerance of antisemitism in the U.K.”
In a decisive move later that day, Deputy US Secretary Christopher Landau confirmed the US had revoked visas for members of Bob Vylan, citing the nature of their performance.
“Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,” Landau said.
The incident has triggered cross-party criticism, particularly targeting the BBC, the nation’s publicly-funded broadcaster, which has already faced backlash after it aired the ‘death to the IDF’ chant at Glastonbury.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged the broadcaster to account for its actions, saying it “needs to explain” how such “appalling hate speech” was aired.
The BBC has since acknowledged its error. A spokesperson stated: “The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves. We welcome Glastonbury’s condemnation of the performance.”
The broadcaster added that the team was responding to a “live situation” but conceded, “With hindsight, we should have pulled the stream during the performance. We regret this did not happen.”
Avon and Somerset Police, responsible for the area covering the iconic music event, confirmed they had opened a criminal investigation into the matter.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, known for his criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza, also weighed in. Speaking to LBC Radio, he warned the chants could do more harm than good.
“It’s possible to be critical — as I am — of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and [the] IDF while recognising Jewish people feel very scared and distinguish between them,” Khan said.
Opposition figures have echoed the outrage. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp accused the band of “inciting violence and hatred” and even floated the idea that the BBC might face legal consequences for broadcasting the footage.
In response to the backlash, the BBC has pledged to review its editorial guidelines, aiming to ensure staff can better judge when live content should be pulled from the air.
This incident has cast a spotlight not only on the limits of free expression at public events but also on the responsibilities of broadcasters and public figures when addressing hate speech in any form.
