Maltese-Anglo band ĠENN have withdrawn from Manchester’s Radar Festival in protest at the removal of Bob Vylan from the line-up, following his controversial criticism of Israel’s military during a Glastonbury set last weekend.
Pressure needs to be placed on those who are instigating censorship of a genocide in real time, the band said in a social media post, as it announced its withdrawal from the UK festival.
ĠENN is a four-piece band comprising Janelle Borg on guitars, Sofia Rosa Cooper on drums, Leona Farrugia on vocals and Leanne Zammit on bass.
The first iteration of the band started 10 years ago in Malta, before moving to Brighton.
During the legendary Glastonbury festival last weekend, Vylan led the crowd in chanting “death to the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces),” prompting condemnation that he was anti-semitic, an Ofcom and police investigation, and the revocation of US visas.
He defended the chant, clarifying that the band’s issue was with the “violent military machine” in Gaza, not Jews or other groups.
His comments sparked a police probe and global criticism, while the British public broadcaster, the BBC apologised for not pulling the live stream of the singer.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that there was “no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech”.
But days later, the Manchester festival co-organiser told a podcast that the authorities placed the venue on notice: if Bob Vylan remained on the bill, the entire Saturday could be shut down, risking the venue’s licence and livelihoods of dozens of bands and crew.
In a statement via social media, ĠENN said their solidarity was not just with Bob Vylan.
They urged fans to “redirect the energy towards those who are instigating the censorship of a genocide happening in real time,” issuing a plea to “continue to work together to shout for a free Palestine.
“As a minority on pretty much every lineup, and with a relatively modest platform, we considered whether we could use our physical presence to speak against the bullying, censorship and strong-arming demonstrated towards the likes of both Bob Vylan and Radar.
“Be kind to one another, and let’s continue to work together to shout for a free Palestine.”
The band asked fans to direct their protests towards MPs and people in power to try to bring about positive change. They also apologised to ticket-holders for pulling out “for our safety and sanity”.
Irish duo The Scratch similarly withdrew in protest, calling deplatforming “greasy, dangerous, and must be challenged”.