LONDON: British police said on Tuesday they were continuing to investigate comments made on stage during a performance by duo Bob Vylan at Glastonbury music festival in June over derogatory chanting about the Israeli military
Avon and Somerset Police said they had held a voluntary police interview with a man in his mid-30s to help progress their inquiries.
"The matter has been recorded as a public order incident while we continue to investigate and consider all relevant legislation," Avon and Somerset Police said.
The performance by Bob Vylan, a duo whose stage names are Bobby Vylan and Bobbie Vylan, both thought to be in their mid-30s, included on-stage chants of "death, death to the IDF", a reference to the Israel Defense Forces then heavily involved in fighting in Gaza.
The performance was condemned by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Israeli Embassy in London while the BBC was criticised for not stopping its livestreaming of the set.
Bob Vylan are known for mixing grime and punk rock, and their songs tackle a range of issues including racism, homophobia and the class divide.
UK police continue investigation into Bob Vylan performance at Glastonbury
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UK police continue investigation into Bob Vylan performance at Glastonbury
- Bob Vylan are known for mixing grime and punk rock, and their songs tackle a range of issues including racism, homophobia and the class divide
Macron vows stronger cooperation with Nigeria after mass kidnappings
- Macron wrote on X that France “will strengthen our partnership with the authorities and our support for the affected populations”
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that France will step up cooperation with Nigeria after speaking with his counterpart, as the West African country faces a surge in abductions.
Nigeria has been wracked by a wave of kidnappings in recent weeks, including the capture of over 300 school children two weeks ago that shook Africa’s most populous country, already weary from chronic violence.
Macron wrote on X that the move came at Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s request, saying France “will strengthen our partnership with the authorities and our support for the affected populations,” while urging other countries to “step up their engagement.”
“No one can remain a spectator” to what is happening in Nigeria, the French president said.
Nigeria has drawn heightened attention from Washington in recent weeks, after US President Donald Trump said in November that the United States was prepared to take military action there to counter the killing of Christians.
US officials, while not contradicting Trump, have since instead emphasized other US actions on Nigeria including security cooperation with the government and the prospect of targeted sanctions.
Kidnappings for ransom by armed groups have plagued Nigeria since the 2014 abduction of 276 school girls in the town of Chibok by Boko Haram militants.
The religiously diverse country is the scene of a number of long-brewing conflicts that have killed both Christians and Muslims, often indiscriminately.
Many scholars say the reality is more nuanced, with conflicts rooted in struggles for scarce resources rather than directly related to religion.
