During the famous Glastonbury Festival in Britain, performers came on stage and shouted slogans for the freedom of Palestine and the Israeli army
Showbiz reporter Daily Dawn + Dawn TV report
Glastonbury: On Saturday, performers at the famous Glastonbury Music Festival in Britain asked the audience to chant slogans against the Israeli army and the freedom of Palestine.
Rap-punk duo ‘Bob Violin’ came on stage and shouted slogans against the Israeli army, ‘death, death to the IDF.’
British officers are reviewing videos of Bob Violin’s slogans.
The Israeli embassy in Britain said in a statement issued on X after the incident that they were deeply concerned by the ‘provocative and hateful narrative’.
Irish rap trio Kneecap aimed Prime Minister Keir Starmer during their performance at the festival.
Kneecap has been in the news in recent months for its pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel stance.
One of its members has been charged with “terrorism” for supporting Hezbollah, after which British Prime Minister Starmer and other politicians called for Kneecap to be removed from the festival lineup.
Kneecap chanted against Starmer in front of thousands of fans, many of whom were waving Palestinian flags.
Member Liam Ohana said, “Glastonbury, I’m a free man.”
He appeared in court earlier this month. He is accused of displaying a Hezbollah flag and “singing pro-Hamas and Hezbollah.”
The video emerged from a concert in London last year. Hezbollah and Hamas are banned in the UK and supporting them is considered a crime.
Ohana, whose stage name is Mo Chara, has denied the allegations.
“This situation can be quite stressful but it is nothing compared to what the Palestinian people are going through,” she said.
Ohana also gave a “shout out” to the Palestine Action Group, which Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced last week would be a proscribed organization under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Another member of the band, DJ Provai, wore a T-shirt attributed to the same group, which was banned after its activists stormed a British Royal Air Force base and damaged two planes.
According to British media, local police are reviewing speeches and videos from both groups to determine whether a crime was committed.
The group, formed in 2017, is considered by its fans to be a bold voice that stands up to the establishment, while its critics call it extremist.
The group denies terrorism charges, saying the video with the Hezbollah flag was taken out of context.
In an interview with the Guardian, when Chara was asked if he regretted the flag-waving and other statements, he said, “Why should I regret it? It was a joke — we were playing a role.”
Chris Jeffries, 32, an analyst at a bank, told AFP that the performance by the group at Glastonbury made him proud as a fan.
‘They are one of the few bands that are speaking out about Palestine.’
Since Ohana was charged, the group has been pulled from several shows, including a festival in Scotland and several performances in Germany.
But Glastonbury organizers ignored Prime Minister Starmer’s comments that it was “inappropriate” for the band to perform at a major music festival like Glastonbury.
The BBC, the public broadcaster, was also under pressure not to broadcast the concert. In a statement on Saturday, a BBC spokesman said the performance would not be broadcast live but would be available on demand later.
The government said on Sunday that the BBC would have to answer questions about criticism of Israel by musicians at the festival.
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