Concert of Bob Vylan in Tilburg called off following remarks on Charlie Kirk and Palestine issue
In a series of events that have sparked debate and controversy, the punk duo Bob Vylan and rap group Kneecap's sets at the 2025 Glastonbury Festival have led to criminal investigations and a revoked US visa, amid accusations of hate speech.
The controversy began when Bob Vylan performed at the Paradiso venue in Amsterdam on September 13. During the show, Vylan led the audience in chants of "Death to the IDF" on several occasions and voiced support for the liberation of Palestine. These actions have been met with criticism and calls for their expulsion from the Netherlands by Dutch right-wing leader Geert Wilders.
Following the controversy, Vylan insisted they never "celebrated" the death of US right-wing podcaster Charlie Kirk, although they did call him a "piece of sht". Vylan's comments during the Amsterdam concert, where they said "Rest in peace, Charlie Kirk, you piece of sht", have been criticised by the venue as trivialising political murder.
The venue's statement added that while they recognise that reporting on Vylan is sometimes less nuanced than what actually took place, they nevertheless believe that these new statements go too far. The venue also stated that the comments no longer fell within the boundaries of what they can provide a platform for.
The controversy has not been limited to the Netherlands. English punk-rap duo Bob Vylan had a planned performance in the Dutch city of Tilburg cancelled. The venue stated that the pair had "gone too far", leading to several cancelled concerts and an investigation from the UK police into whether the remarks constituted a criminal offence.
Vylan has defended their stance, stating that they are not hateful, not anti-Semites, but anti-Zionist, anti-oppression, and anti-fascist. They have also emphasised that their performances are political in nature.
It's not the first time Bob Vylan has sparked outrage for their performances. At Glastonbury in June, Vylan chanted with the crowd: "Free Palestine" and "Death to the IDF". This has led to further investigations and calls for their removal from the festival.
Despite the controversy, Vylan has maintained a positive outlook. They stated that they played a sold-out Paradiso in Amsterdam and that, except for the concert organizer in Tilburg, no other party is explicitly mentioned as having slowed down or cancelled the planned Bob Vylan performances in the Netherlands. A court even denied a ban on the Nijmegen concert, allowing it to proceed.
The events surrounding Bob Vylan's performances have sparked a wider debate about freedom of speech, political activism, and the boundaries of acceptable behaviour in music and entertainment. As the investigations continue, it remains to be seen how this controversy will unfold.
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