US Revokes Bob Vylan Visas Over Glastonbury Antisemitic Rant

OMG, pour that extra shot of espresso—this just got intense! The U.S. State Department officially pulled the plug on British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan’s American visas after what officials are calling a “hateful, antisemitic tirade” at Glastonbury. According to a June 30 notice obtained by the New York Post, the revocation came down after duo members Tommy and Bobbie Vylan shouted inflammatory chants during their June 29 set on the festival’s Woodsies stage.

I have THOUGHTS and FEELINGS, and here’s the tea: eyewitnesses and video clips shared across social media show the pair chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” a slogan many governments— including the U.K. and U.S.—deem antisemitic when used to erase Israel’s right to exist (BBC News, June 30). The United States is notoriously strict about hate speech at public events, and the State Department’s letter explicitly cites “antisemitic content” as grounds for denial.

Now, you might remember Bob Vylan had just announced their first-ever North American tour dates—kicking off July 12 in Los Angeles and wrapping in Brooklyn by July 20 (The Guardian). They’d sold out venues in London, Manchester and Glasgow with their fiery mix of grime beats and punk attitude, but their stateside dream just flat-lined. Fans are scrambling—Twitter blew up with fans decrying the decision as political censorship, while critics applaud the U.S. for drawing a hard line against hate speech.

And here’s the kicker: their booking agent confirms refunds are underway, but venues are left scrambling to fill those slots (Variety, July 1). Industry insiders tell me labels and promoters are nervously watching, worried this could set a precedent for other artists whose lyrics or onstage rhetoric run afoul of U.S. hate-speech policies.

Let’s spill one more cup of hot gossip: sources say the duo plans to appeal, insisting their comments were “political expression, not hate,” and that the visa revocation violates their freedom of speech. But legal experts warn that U.S. immigration law gives consular officers near-total discretion when it comes to barring applicants for public safety or hate speech concerns.

Whew—my heart’s racing! Will Bob Vylan’s appeal flip the script, or is their U.S. tour truly toast? Stay tuned, because if this drama isn’t wild enough, I swear I could talk about the fallout all day. What to watch next: will other festival acts face similar scrutiny? And can the duo win back American fans after this bombshell? Whew! That was A LOT to process!

Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post, BBC News, The Guardian, Variety
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed