During the performance of the punk-rap band Bob Vylan at the Glastonbury festival, the vocalist called on the crowd to chant antisemitic slogans, which caused a wave of criticism. BBC admitted that it should have stopped the live broadcast but did not, which put it under intense scrutiny from the regulator Ofcom and the UK government. This is reported by UNN with reference to ВВС.
The team handled the situation live, but looking back, we should have stopped the broadcast during the performance. We regret that this did not happen
During part of the band's performance, the singer also chanted "free, free Palestine" and used the phrase "from the river to the sea Palestine will be free." Some use this chant as a call for Palestinian control over all lands between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, including Israel. Critics argue that this slogan is a call for the destruction of the state of Israel. This interpretation is disputed by pro-Palestinian activists, who argue that most people chanting this are calling for an end to Israel's occupation of the West Bank and the blockade of Gaza, not for the destruction of Israel itself.
Given this weekend, we will review our live broadcasting guidelines to ensure that teams clearly understand when it is acceptable to continue broadcasting
This came after the broadcasting regulator Ofcom stated that the BBC "obviously has questions to answer" regarding its coverage of the events. At the same time, the government also questioned why these comments were broadcast live. Glastonbury organizers had also previously said they were "shocked" by the comments, which "crossed a line."
BBC respects freedom of speech, but strongly opposes incitement to violence. The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were absolutely unacceptable and had no place on our airwaves
On Sunday, the singer posted a statement on Instagram with an accompanying message: "I said what I said." In it, he also defended political activism in general, without directly mentioning Saturday's performance, and wrote that it is important for young people to see activists "shouting... on every stage offered to us."
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the remarks on stage "hate speech," referring to both the chants themselves and the BBC's coverage of them. Shortly after the performance, the government said that Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy had demanded an urgent explanation from BBC Director-General Tim Davie.
Opposition Home Secretary Chris Philp said that the police should investigate both Bob Vylan and the BBC "for offences under the Public Order Act," adding that "in my opinion, a criminal prosecution should be brought."
Addition
Earlier, the BBC reported that a warning about the performance appeared on the screen, and it would not be available for viewing on iPlayer.