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Bob Vylan Reschedules UK Gigs Amid ‘Political Pressure’ After ‘Death to the IDF,’ Other ‘Antisemitic’ Comments
Bob Vylan music duo performance at Glastonbury Festival (Source: FLIKR)
The British punk rap duo Bob Vylan announced on Thursday the rescheduling of two shows in Manchester and Leeds in the United Kingdom “due to political pressure” from government officials, Members of Parliament, and Jewish groups.
The concerts were scheduled to be the first of their “We Won’t Go Quietly” UK and Ireland tour. The London-based band was set to perform at the O2 Academy in Leeds on Nov. 4 and the following night at Manchester Academy, which is located on the campus of the University of Manchester. The shows in Manchester and Leeds will now take place on Feb. 5 and 7, respectively. Tickets purchased for the original dates will be valid for the rescheduled shows.
Bob Vylan shared on Instagram an updated tour poster, featuring the new dates, and wrote in the caption that the “political pressure” to move the shows stemmed from “the likes of Bridget Phillipson and groups in the Northwest of England.” Phillipson is the UK ‘s education secretary and minister for women and equalities. During a guest appearance earlier this month on a BBC morning talk show, Phillipson was asked if she thinks Manchester Academy should cancel Bob Vylan’s concert on Nov. 5 because of some of the band’s controversial and offensive comments.
The duo’s lead singer, Pascal Robinson-Foster, led chants of “death, death to the IDF,” referring to the Israel Defense Forces,” and “Free, free Palestine,” during Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury set in June, which was broadcast live on the BBC. Robinson-Foster, who goes by the stage name Bobby Vylan, has led chants of “death to the IDF” at other concerts as well following Glastonbury. He talked about the chant during a podcast interview on Tuesday, saying he is “not regretful of it at all” and that he “would do it again tomorrow, [and] twice on Sundays.”
Phillipson said she was “deeply, deeply troubled” by Bob Vylan’s past comments and believes the punk rap duo’s remarks on stage could cause “fear and intimidation.” She added that universities, like the University of Manchester, “have powers to take action to prevent harassment and intimidation.”
During a September concert in Amsterdam, Robinson-Foster called for violence against Zionists while calling conservative activist and pro-Israel advocate Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot the prior week in Utah, “an absolute piece of s–t of a human being.”
“F–k the fascists, f–k the Zionists, get out there and fight there, get out there and meet them in the streets, get out there and let them know that you do not f–king stand by them, you understand me?” the singer shouted.
A separate Bob Vylan concert in the Netherlands was canceled because of the singer’s remarks about Kirk and Phillipson told the British LBC radio station recently that the comments about Zionists are “chilling,” as well as “absolutely disgusting and shameful.”
Manchester Academy is operated by the University of Manchester Students’ Union. In a released statement on Thursday, the student group said the decision to postpone the Nov. 5 concert until February was made following conversations with promoters and Bob Vylan’s management.
“The Manchester performance has been the subject of deep and understandable public scrutiny, given it’s during a difficult time for our city, following the horrific terror attack on the Heaton Park Synagogue,” the student union said, referring to the deadly attack that took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. It added that Manchester Academy is still committed “to providing space for creative and cultural expression” and that freedom of artistic expression “is a cornerstone of a democratic society, and it must be protected.”
“Music and culture have always been spaces where protest, dialogue, and difference can exist safely and respectfully,” the statement read in conclusion. “Everyone is and always has been welcome in our spaces. We support thousands of students and the Manchester community from every background each year to find their voice and place.”
The Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester (JRC) sent a letter, supported by 10 members of Parliament, to Manchester Academy demanding that the venue cancel the punk-rap show, and made the same request in statements shared online. JRC explained that Bob Vylan has “repeatedly engaged in rhetoric that crosses the line from legitimate political discourse into antisemitism and incitement,” and said the venue must “cancel the performance and commit to clear policies to ensure that it will not legitimize prejudice under the guise of freedom of speech.”
Further concerts as part of the “We Won’t Go Quietly” tour are scheduled in Glasgow, London, Bristol, Dublin, and Birmingham throughout November and into early December. Bob Vylan said on Thursday that all of those shows will continue “as planned,” with the Bristol and Dublin shows being sold out. The “last few tickets” are on sale for the London gig.
Bob Vylan is also scheduled to perform on Dec. 2 in Brussels, but the European Jewish Congress is calling for the cancellation of the gig because “the event risks providing a platform for rhetoric that incites violence and fuels a surge of hostility toward Jewish communities.”
“We call on the concert organizers and Belgian authorities to review the decision to host this act,” the EJC said on Thursday in a statement shared on X. “The safety and dignity of Jewish individuals and all attendees must be safeguarded. There is no place in Europe for ‘art’ that glorifies violence.”
Several British MPs as well as BBC Director-General Tim Davie condemned Bob Vylan’s “Death to the IDF” comments following the band’s Glastonbury set. Because of the Glastonbury incident, Bob Vylan had their US visas revoked, ahead of scheduled shows in October, and are currently under criminal investigation in the UK. The duo was also dropped from Manchester’s Radar festival in July.
Bob Vylan has defended the Glastonbury “Death to the IDF” comments several times. Robinson-Foster explained once that he was calling for the “dismantling of a violent military machine” and insisted in a social media post last month “there is nothing antisemitic or criminal about anything I said at Glastonbury.” During a recent guest appearance on a podcast hosted by Louis Theroux, the singer revealed that BBC staff members cheered the duo when they got off the stage at Glastonbury and described the set as “fantastic.”
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Explosion at Alawite Mosque in Syria’s Homs Kills Eight
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron after a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, May 7, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/Pool
Eight people were killed in an explosion at a mosque of the Alawite minority sect in the Syrian city of Homs on Friday, Syrian state news agency SANA said.
SANA cited Syrian Health Ministry official Najib al-Naasan as saying 18 others were wounded and that the figures were not final, indicating they could rise.
The city’s press office said an explosive device had detonated inside the Imam Ali bin Abi Talib mosque and that security forces had cordoned off the area. A local security official told SANA that the identity of the perpetrator and any affiliation to violent groups were still unknown.
Local official Issam Naameh told Reuters the blast occurred during Friday noon prayers.
Syria‘s foreign ministry condemned the blast as a “terrorist crime.” Regional countries including Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Qatar also condemned the attack.
Syrian state media SANA published footage of rescuers and security forces examining debris splayed across the mosque’s green carpet.
Syria has been rocked by several episodes of sectarian violence since longtime leader Bashar al-Assad, an Alawite, was ousted by a rebel offensive last year and replaced by a government led by members of the Sunni Muslim majority.
Earlier this month, two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in central Syria by an attacker described by the authorities as a suspected member of the Islamic State, a violent Sunni Muslim group.
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Southern Yemeni Separatists Dismiss Saudi Call to Withdraw From Eastern Provinces
A drone view shows people attending a rally organized by Yemen’s main separatist group, the Southern Transitional Council (STC), in Aden, Yemen, Dec. 21, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Fawaz Salman
Yemen’s main southern separatist group rejected on Friday a Saudi call for its forces to withdraw from areas it seized earlier in December, saying it will continue securing the eastern provinces of Hadramout and Mahra.
Saudi Arabia said on Thursday it remains hopeful the Southern Transitional Council (STC) will end an escalation and withdraw its forces from the provinces, after the group claimed broad control of the south and pushed the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government from its headquarters in Aden.
The group said in a statement posted on its account on X that its military operations in the two provinces were to combat security threats, including cutting supplies to the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists who control the north of the country.
Situated between Saudi Arabia and an important shipping route on the Red Sea, Yemen was split into northern and southern states until 1990.
AIRSTRIKES IN HADRAMOUT
In Hadramout, an escalation of fighting on Thursday killed two people from the STC’s Hadhrami Elite Forces, the group said in its statement.
Armed groups had ambushed STC forces in the Ghail bin Yamin area in the east of the province, but the forces managed to regain control of the area, a source from the group – speaking on condition of anonymity – told Reuters.
Saudi airstrikes followed early on Friday, targeting the STC forces in the area, the source added.
The STC said the “surprising” airstrikes will not “serve any path to an understanding, nor will they deter the people of southern Yemen from continuing their struggle to restore their full rights.”
Saudi Arabia did not confirm the strikes.
The kingdom said in its Thursday statement that a joint Saudi-Emirati military delegation was sent to Aden on Dec. 12 to make “the necessary arrangements” to ensure the return of STC forces to their previous positions outside the two provinces, adding that the efforts were still in progress.
The STC said on Friday that the group was open to any “coordination or arrangements based on guaranteeing the security, unity, and integrity of the south, and ensuring that security threats do not recur.”
The group added that any arrangements should “fulfil the aspirations and will of the people of south of Yemen,” as well as “the shared interests” with Saudi Arabia.
UAE WELCOMES SAUDI EFFORTS
The United Arab Emirates, which supports the STC, welcomed on Friday Saudi Arabian efforts to support security and stability in Yemen, and said it remains committed to backing stability in the country.
“The UAE reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to supporting all endeavours aimed at strengthening stability and development in Yemen,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The STC was initially part of the Sunni Muslim Saudi-led alliance that intervened in Yemen in 2015 against the Houthis. But the group has turned on the government and sought self-rule in the south.
Yemen has already been marred by a civil war since 2014, with the Houthis controlling the northern part of the country, including the capital Sanaa, after forcing the Saudi-backed government to flee south.
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US Strikes Islamic State Terrorists in Nigeria
A missile is launched from a military vessel at an unidentified location, in this screen grab obtained from a handout video released by the Department of War on Dec. 25, 2025. Photo: US Department of War Via X/Handout via REUTERS
The United States carried out a strike against Islamic State terrorists in northwest Nigeria at the request of Nigeria‘s government, President Donald Trump and the US military said on Thursday, noting the group had been targeting Christians in the region.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The US military’s Africa Command said the strike was carried out in Sokoto state in coordination with Nigerian authorities and killed multiple ISIS terrorists.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar told the British Broadcasting Corp the strike was a “joint operation” targeting “terrorists,” and it “has nothing to do with a particular religion.”
Without naming ISIS specifically, Tuggar said the operation had been planned “for quite some time” and had used intelligence information provided by the Nigerian side. He did not rule out further strikes, adding that this depended on “decisions to be taken by the leadership of the two countries.”
The strike comes after Trump in late October began warning that Christianity faces an “existential threat” in Nigeria and threatened to militarily intervene in the West African country over what he says is its failure to stop violence targeting Christian communities.
Reuters reported on Monday the US had been conducting intelligence-gathering flights over large parts of Nigeria since late November.
‘MORE TO COME’
Nigeria’s foreign ministry said the strike was carried out as part of ongoing security cooperation with the United States, involving intelligence sharing and strategic coordination to target militant groups.
“This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes in the North West,” the ministry said in a post on X.
A video posted by the Pentagon showed at least one projectile launched from a warship. A US defense official said the strike targeted multiple militants at known ISIS camps.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked the Nigerian government on X for its support and cooperation and added: “More to come…”
Nigeria‘s government has said armed groups target both Muslims and Christians, and US claims that Christians face persecution do not represent the complex security situation and ignore efforts to safeguard religious freedom. But it has agreed to work with the US to bolster its forces against terrorist groups.
The country’s population is split between Muslims living primarily in the north and Christians in the south.
Police said earlier on Thursday a suspected suicide bomber killed at least five people and injured 35 others at a mosque in Nigeria‘s northeast, another region troubled by Islamist insurgents.
In a Christmas message posted on X earlier, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu called for peace in his country, “especially between individuals of differing religious beliefs.”
He also said: “I stand committed to doing everything within my power to enshrine religious freedom in Nigeria and to protect Christians, Muslims, and all Nigerians from violence.”
Trump issued his statement on the strike on Christmas Day while he was at his Palm Beach, Florida, Mar-a-Lago Club, where he has been spending the holiday. He had no public events during the day and was last seen by the reporters traveling with him on Wednesday night.
The US military last week launched separate large-scale strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria, after Trump vowed to hit back in the wake of a suspected ISIS attack on US personnel in the country.