Lucy Powell joins Labour calls to ban Bob Vylan gig in Manchester after 'antisemitic' chant row
Calls for the gig to be banned have come after a synagogue attack in Manchester took two lives last week
Another senior Labour figure has joined calls to ban controversial rap duo Bob Vylan from performing in Manchester following last week's synagogue attack.
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Labour deputy leadership contender Lucy Powell told LBC that it would be "wrong" for the gig on November 5 to go ahead, after the band were accused of being "antisemitic" for leading a chant of "death to the IDF" during their Glastonbury Festival set.
Ms Powell, who is Manchester Central MP, told Tonight with Andrew Marr: "I agree with the sentiment [of Labour MPs calling for the show to be cancelled] completely and I've made my own representations and I think it would be wrong for that concert.
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"I think it would have been wrong for that concert to have happened anyway, but particularly now."
Her comments follow those of her deputy leadership rival and education secretary Bridget Phillipson, who told LBC on Monday that Bob Vylan were "chilling and sound incredibly serious".
Senior Labour sources are now pushing for the punk rap act's show at the Manchester Academy be pulled, with one government source saying: “Any decent person can see that inciting violence in these conditions is completely irresponsible. [They] should not be able to profit from hatred and the show should be banned. Government must act.”
In recent shows, Bob Vylan have also embarked on extremely anti-police rants - as well as celebrating the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Read More: Punk Rap duo Bob Vylan celebrate Charlie Kirk’s killing on stage
The source told LBC: "In a context of rising antisemitism and in the wake of the sickening terrorist attack on the Jewish community in the city, it beggars belief that the Manchester Academy would give a platform to [artists] who [have] in recent days openly urged concertgoers to confront and fight 'Zionists' in the streets.
"What the community needs now is space to grieve and heal, not incitement to further antisemitic harassment and violence.”
A representative from Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region said: “We are deeply concerned by Manchester Academy’s decision to host Bob Vylan, an artist who has repeatedly engaged in rhetoric that crosses the line from legitimate political discourse into antisemitism and incitement."
"We are even more alarmed given the Director General of the BBC accepted that he was responsible for an 'antisemitic broadcast' by covering their Glastonbury performance that directly led to an increase in hate crime against the Jewish community.
"There is a vital distinction between legitimate criticism of the Israeli government and speech that veers into antisemitism. Freedom of expression is a central component of our democracy that must be protected but it cannot be right to platform an artist who has consistently been condemned as hateful and racist.
"We call on the Manchester Academy to cancel the performance and commit to clear policies to ensure that it will not legitimise prejudice under the guise of freedom of speech.”
Following publication of this article representatives for Bob Vylan wrote to LBC and stated that they have never performed fascist salutes, these are warm up stretches which have been performed at shows for years. They state that they oppose fascism and have not engaged in any antisemitic speech or conduct.
Bob Vylan also urged fans at a show in Amsterdam to "hunt down Zionists in the streets", reported The Times.
Another Labour MP said: “I’m deeply upset about it but ultimately if they haven’t broken the law or committed the offence then free speech says they are able to play…..it’s disappointing and incredibly offensive."
A further member added: "Instinctively think it’s very poor form to host them. But it is such a student union thing to do.
"Question is; what is it that (a) the university or (b) the government should do given neither to my knowledge have sanctioned them to date?”