UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned a British punk-rap group for anti-Israel remarks at the Glastonbury music festival, an incident that has already sparked a police inquiry, AFP reports.

Bob Vylan led crowds in chants of “Death, death to the IDF”, a reference to the acronym for the Israeli military, during their set on Saturday.

British police officers are also examining comments by the Irish rap trio Kneecap, whose members have also been highly critical of Israel and its military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer told The Telegraph on Sunday that “there is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech”.

“I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform, and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence,” he added.

“The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast,” he said, referring to the country’s national broadcaster.

One of Kneecap’s members wore a T-shirt dedicated to the Palestine Action Group, which is about to be banned under UK terror laws.

The festival’s organisers said Bob Vylan’s comments had “very much crossed a line”.

Opinion

Editorial

Token austerity
Updated 11 Mar, 2026

Token austerity

The ‘austerity’ measures are a ritualistic response to public anger rather than a sincere attempt to reform state spending.
Lebanon on fire
11 Mar, 2026

Lebanon on fire

WHILE the entire Gulf region has become an active warzone, repercussions of this conflict have spread to the...
Canine crisis
11 Mar, 2026

Canine crisis

KARACHI’S stray dog crisis requires urgent attention. Feral canines can cause serious and lasting physical and...
Iran’s new leader
Updated 10 Mar, 2026

Iran’s new leader

The position is the most powerful in Iran, bringing together clerical authority and political and ideological leadership.
National priorities
10 Mar, 2026

National priorities

EVEN as the country faces heightened risks of attacks from actual terrorists, an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi...
Silenced march
10 Mar, 2026

Silenced march

ON the eve of International Women’s Day, Islamabad Police detained dozens of Aurat March activists who had ...