Over the weekend, the UK’s iconic Glastonbury music festival became a battleground over political expression amid growing scrutiny of pro-Palestinian voices.

The Irish rap group Kneecap used their set to voice solidarity with Palestinians. When their performance was skipped by the BBC, the London Punk duo Bob Vylan used their gig to express dual solidarity with Kneecap and, by extension, with the Palestinians.

Kneecap, the rap trio, delivered a high-energy performance with signature tracks during their much-anticipated appearance at the festival. Playing to a packed crowd at the West Holts stage, they led chants of “Free Palestine” and “F*** Keir Starmer.”

“Israel are war criminals,” declared Mo Chara, one of the group’s members, to a crowd of thousands on Saturday. The response to which was immediate and emphatic: Palestinian flags raised high, fists in the air, chants echoing across the field.

Mo Chara, whose non-stage name is Liam Og O hAnnaidh, also wore a T-shirt reading “We are all Palestine Action,” referencing the protest group the UK government now plans to ban as a “dangerous, terrorist organisation.”

After their performance, which the BBC didn't live stream, due to Kneecap’s pro-Palestine stance, Vylan appeared on iPlayer, the BBC’s online streaming service, chanting “Death to the IDF” and “Free Palestine.”

The backlash was swift: the duo was dropped by United Talent Agency as well as their  US visas were revoked. A criminal investigation has been launched into the performances.

After the show, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there was “no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech.”

The BBC issued an apology for broadcasting the chant. UK Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis has condemned the BBC’s broadcast, calling it “vile Jew-hate” and a “national shame.”

In response to the backlash, Bob Vylan released a video statement on Monday, where he said politicians should be “utterly ashamed” about where their “allegiances lie.” 

“Regardless of how it was said, calling to end the slaughter of innocents is never wrong,” he said.

Telling asymmetry of coverages

Despite the uproar and outrage, many view the crackdown as a distraction from the real atrocity, which they say is the UK’s continued support for Israeli war crimes, especially as a recent Haaretz expose revealed Israeli soldiers admitting to deliberately shooting civilians at aid distribution sites in Gaza.

“While Israel soldiers admit to mowing down starving civilians with machine gun fire,  headlines in the UK explode over a Glastonbury artist inciting crowds to chant “Death to the IDF,” Andreas Krieg, a political analyst from King’s College London said on X.

“This isn’t just about 'two sides'. This is a socio-psychological clash of narratives,” he wrote.

Journalist Rachel Shabi also weighed in on the backlash to the rappers’ performance, calling out what she views as the overshadowing of the mass killing of Palestinians.

“They get more attention than the genocide of Gazans,” she responded when asked what disturbed her most about the Glastonbury chants.

When the BBC opted not to broadcast Kneecap’s performance live, a fan named Helen, known as @helenwilsonwales on TikTok, took matters into her own hands. She live-streamed the set for an hour from her phone screen for thousands to see. She ended up burning her fingers while holding the phone under the scorching sun.

“Bob Vylan was dropped by his agency, they cancelled his visa ahead of his US tour, the UK and US governments denounced him as an evil violent monster, the BBC apologised for airing his set. Why? Because he said death to the genocidal Israeli r*pe army that is mass killing babies,” a user on X wrote.

UK-based advocacy group CAGE International criticised the use of terror laws in cases like that involving Palestine Action, arguing that these laws are being wielded as tools of political repression rather than genuine counter‑terrorism.

“The reality is that the vast majority of politically motivated violent offences are not prosecuted under terrorism laws,” said Asim Qureshi, research director at the group. “They only exist to repress freedom of speech.”

How did we get here?

Kneecap, though still largely unknown outside certain hip hop and Irish-language circles, have quickly become a cultural flashpoint. Known for their provocative lyrics and controversial merchandise, Kneecap was formed in 2017 by Mo Chara, Moglai Bap, and DJ Provai.

The controversy surrounding Glastonbury 2025, which took place between began weeks before the first act took the stage. When Kneecap was booked for the Glastonbury lineup, Starmer said that their appearance was “inappropriate”.

It was triggered by the inclusion of Kneecap in the lineup, shortly after one of its members, Mo Chara, was charged under the UK Terrorism Act for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a 2024 performance.

This came after the band displayed a message saying: “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” and the words “Fuck Israel. Free Palestine,” in one of its April performances at Coachella.

Following Starmer’s rebuke, Bob Vylan stood his ground, posting on Instagram.

“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 said in a post on his Instagram, adding: “I said what I said.”

At the time, politicians and music industry bosses had called on organisers to pull the group, which made many headlines.

Kneecap pushed back against the growing media fixation, stating that the story should not be about them but about the ongoing atrocities in Gaza.

“Kneecap is not the story. Genocide in Gaza is,” they wrote.