LONDON

The BBC has removed several senior staff from their duties after airing a controversial live performance at the Glastonbury music festival by rap-punk duo Bob Vylan, who condemned Israel’s military and denounced genocidal violence against Palestinians.

During their live-streamed set, the band’s vocalist led a chant of “Death, death to the IDF” and made remarks criticizing Israel’s “violent military machine.”

Bob Vylan later said their comments were not directed toward any group or ethnicity but were intended as a protest against military violence.

“We are not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people,” the duo said in a statement. “Silence is not an option. We will be fine, the people of Palestine are hurting.”

The BBC aired the performance live without delay, initially expressing confidence that any compliance risks could be addressed in real time. Warnings were later issued on the stream, but the editorial team decided not to cut the feed.

BBC Chair Samir Shah apologized for the broadcast.

“We apologize to all our viewers and listeners, and particularly the Jewish community, for allowing the ‘artist’ Bob Vylan to express unconscionable antisemitic views live on the BBC,” Shah said.

The apology has sparked debate, with some arguing that the remarks were a legitimate protest against systemic violence, not hate speech.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and Shadow Culture Secretary Stuart Andrew both called for greater accountability at the BBC, citing failures in editorial oversight. Britain’s media regulator Ofcom also said the corporation “has questions to answer.”

Following the controversy, Bob Vylan has been dropped from several festival lineups in the UK and Europe. They are also under criminal investigation by Avon and Somerset Police and the Metropolitan Police for separate comments made at a concert in London.