Chuck D has come to the defense of English punk rap duo Bob Vylan after they came under fire for their recent performance at Glastonbury. On stage, they led the crowd in chants of "Free Palestine" and "Death to the IDF," which resulted in accusations of antisemitism. They also performed in front of a screen displaying: “United Nations have called it a genocide. The BBC calls it a ‘conflict.’”
Altogether, the performance led to a police investigation, the United States revoking Bob Vylan's visas, and more. “When people say death to a country, they’re not saying death to a people,” Chuck D told The Independent during a recent interview. “They’re saying death to imperialism, death to colonialism. Bob Vylan ain’t got no tanks. They’re using words to say something must end. You can’t really kill nobody with a guitar or a microphone, but you could kill somebody with a drone and a f***ing tank.”
Bob Vylan Controversy
As for the revoking of their visas, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said afterward that the State Department “has revoked the US visas for the members of the Bob Vylan band in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants," as caught by CNN. He added that “foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.”
Bobby Vylan stood by their performance in a statement on Instagram as the backlash mounted. “Teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need is the only way that we make this world a better place,” he wrote. “As we grow older and our fire possibly starts to dim under the suffocation of adult life and all its responsibilities, it is incredibly important that we inspire future generations to pick up the torch that was passed to us.”
Last week, the BBC’s Director of Music, Lorna Clarke, reportedly stepped back from her day-to-day duties as the corporation continued to face backlash for livestreaming the performance, according to NME.
