Bob Vylan’s controversial set at Glastonbury broke editorial guidelines at the BBC, the UK pubcaster’s complaints division has ruled.
However, the BBC was cleared of the most serious breaches, namely on impartiality and being likely to incite or encourage crime.
A huge row exploded with British punk duo Bob Vylan led chants of “death, death to the IDF” and complained about “working for a “f***ing Zionist,” in relation to a record label boss. The BBC was questioned by the UK’s Culture, Media & Sport Committee over its actions around allowing the live feed of the performance to continue.
The BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit has been examining four complaints.
The BBC was found to have broken harm and offence guidelines over the IDF chants, and the use of the slogans “From the river to the sea” and “Free, free Palestine,” as they could imply the disappearance of The reference to a “f***ing Zionist” was seen to breach guidance prohibiting “unduly intimidating, humiliating, intrusive, aggressive or derogatory remarks aimed at real people” and could “fairly be characterised as antisemitic.”
However, even the emotive “From the river to the sea” and “Free, free Palestine” chants could not be construed as inciting violence as though they can be seen as denying the existence of Israel, they can also be “regarded as no more than expressions of support for aspirations to a Palestinian state.”
The “death to the IDF” chant was considered “clearly more problematic,” but was aimed at a institution “which is not defined by ethnic or religious composition” and not at an individual.
The ECU also said that because Bob Vylan’s views were shared during a music concert, the BBC was not expected to meet the same standards as a news or current affairs show. Therefore, this did not constitute an impartiality rule breach.
The impact of the set have been wide-ranging, with BBC staff including Lorna Clarke, Head of Music, stepping down, and the corporation coming in for heavy criticism from its own management over its handling of the set.