The punk rock duo Bob Vylan said Tuesday its members’ U.S. visas were revoked over their comments against the war in Gaza.
Over the weekend, the duo chanted “death to IDF,” referring to the Israel Defense Forces, at Glastonbury Festival in the U.K.
“We are being targeted for speaking up. We are not the first. We will not be the last,” lead singer Bobby Vylan wrote in a post on social platform X.
“And if you care for the sanctity of human life and freedom of speech, we urge you to speak up, too,” he added. “Free Palestine.”
The Israeli Embassy and others have criticized the band for its remarks and condemned its statements, which were aired on the BBC.
“The BBC respects freedom of expression but stands firmly against incitement to violence. The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves,” BBC said in a statement about the duo’s remarks.
“In light of this weekend, we will look at our guidance around live events so we can be sure teams are clear on when it is acceptable to keep output on air,” they added.
However, the band rejected claims that it is antisemitic or prejudiced toward Jewish people.
“We are not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine. A machine whose own soldiers were told to use ‘unnecessary lethal force’ against innocent civilians waiting for aid. A machine that has destroyed much of Gaza,” Vylan said in the Tuesday post.
“We, like those in the spotlight before us, are not the story. We are a distraction from the story. And whatever sanctions we receive will be a distraction,” he added.
The Trump administration has sought to restrict visas for international students and others it has accused of promoting terrorism and antisemitism after Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
Amid the ongoing war, humanitarian watch groups have warned that Palestinians in Gaza are suffering from starvation amid frequent bombings from Israeli forces.
“The government doesn’t want us to ask why they remain silent in the face of this atrocity? To ask why they aren’t doing more to stop the killing? To feed the starving?” Vylan wrote.
“The more time they talk about Bob Vylan, the less time they spend answering for their criminal inaction.”