Professional-Palestinian activism was entrance and middle at this 12 months’s Glastonbury Pageant, the place artists used the U.Okay.’s largest music stage to denounce what they known as a “genocide” in Gaza earlier than a crowd of 250,000.
Irish singer CMAT closed her Pyramid Stage set by telling the viewers, “Thanks a lot, have an excellent competition and free Palestine,” earlier than main a chant for Palestinian freedom.
Elijah Hewson, lead singer of Dublin band Inhaler and son of U2’s Bono, devoted a track to “the folks of Palestine” and “any harmless folks being starved or bombed or genocided for the sake of some lunatics.”
“There’s no higher place for freedom of expression than proper right here at Glastonbury,” Mr. Hewson instructed the gang.
English punk duo Bob Vylan delivered one of many competition’s most forceful on-stage statements.
“We’re seeing the U.Okay. and U.S. being complicit in struggle crimes and genocide taking place over there to the Palestinian folks,” mentioned one member of the pair, named Pascal Robinson-Foster.
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The efficiency escalated when the duo started a chant of “dying to the IDF” (Israel Protection Forces), prompting competition organizers to launch an apologetic assertion Sunday.
“Their chants very a lot crossed a line, and we’re urgently reminding everybody concerned within the manufacturing of the competition that there isn’t any place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech, or incitement to violence,” wrote Emily Eavis, daughter of Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis.
Kneecap, an Irish rap group, joined in for the trigger throughout their set.
“There’s no hiding it. Israel are struggle criminals. It’s a genocide. Free Palestine,” as dozens of Palestinian flags waved within the viewers.
As of late June, officers from the Gaza Well being Ministry report that 56,500 Palestinians have been killed throughout the battle. Greater than 1,200 Israeli civilians and 860 troopers have been killed for the reason that Palestinian militant group Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel.
Jordan Stephens, of hip-hop duo Rizzle Kicks, additionally introduced his mom on stage carrying a keffiyeh and waving a Palestinian flag, drawing cheers.
Chants and flags rippled throughout Glastonbury’s crowds all through the weekend, as hundreds of clips of pro-Palestine demonstrations flooded social media.
The British music competition, which has run for 54 years, concluded its 2025 lineup on Sunday.
