All Bob Vylan concerts in Germany canceled

Berlin. Following the scandal at a British festival involving anti-Israel chants, several planned performances by the punk duo Bob Vylan in Germany have been canceled. Concert promoter FKP Scorpio confirmed this to the German Press Agency. Bob Vylan was scheduled to perform as the opening act for the US band Gogol Bordello in Hamburg, Stuttgart, and Cologne, among other places. All performances have been canceled, according to the organizers. The band did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The singer of the British hip-hop punk duo called for chants from the audience at the Glastonbury Festival in England at the end of June, chanting "Death, death to the IDF." Both the performance itself, which was deemed anti-Semitic, and the BBC's handling of the broadcast were subsequently heavily criticized.

The German promoter confirmed that "shortly after their statements at Glastonbury became known, Bob Vylan was no longer part of the Gogol Bordello concerts we organized." FKP Scorpio further stated: "We ourselves, of course, do not support statements in the context of public performances that are not covered by freedom of art and freedom of expression. Clear calls for violence are therefore unacceptable to us."

In the UK, the BBC apologized for not cutting short the live broadcast. British police are also investigating the duo. Bob Vylan continues to perform in the UK, including on Wednesday evening in a London club. Videos show the two holding a Palestinian flag and criticizing the war, saying it's not about them, but about the suffering of the Palestinians in the Gaza war.

RND/dpa