Bob Vylan under fire for ‘inciting violence’ with comments about Charlie Kirk’s death

Rap duo Bob Vylan have made headlines again with their on-stage antics, this time following the death of far-right political activist Charlie Kirk.

On Wednesday, the public speaker was shot and killed in what authorities have declared a political assassination. The 31-year-old Turning Point USA founder was hosting a Q&A at Utah Valley University at the time.

Kirk’s death has sparked fierce debate online due to the divisive nature of his beliefs, as he frequently expressed conservative views on topics such as abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, gun control, and immigration.

As such, while performing at a gig in the Netherlands this weekend, Bob Vylan, which comprises Bobby and Bobbie Vylan, took the chance to say how they felt about him.

However, critics have slammed the musicians, who gained national attention at Glastonbury with ‘death to the IDF’ chants, for celebrating Kirk’s demise.

Bobby—real name Pascal Robinson-Foster—told the crowd before a song: ‘I want to dedicate this next one to an absolute piece of s**t of a human being.’

Punk duo Bob Vylan appeared to celebrate the death of Charlie Kirk during their latest gig (Picture: Lauren Del Fabbro/PA Wire)

‘The pronouns was/were. Because if you talk s**t, you will get banged,’ he declared.

‘Rest in peace, Charlie Kirk, you piece of s**t.’

A smiling Bobby proceeded to jump up and down as the next tune began, the audience going wild with cheers.

Footage of the moment quickly began circulating online, garnering over 1.5million views on X alone. In the replies, some users tagged the Metropolitan Police, accusing Bobby of ‘inciting violence’.

Among critics was Piers Morgan, who wrote: ‘This is so disgusting, from Vylan and the crowd. Imagine so gleefully cheering the assassination of a man just for having opinions you don’t like?’

@Lord_Dylly added: ‘And even more sickening is the crowd reaction. Why is the world like this?’

The MAGA supporter was shot and killed on Wednesday (Picture: AP)

@Melb0urne__82 replied with an image with the words: ‘If you’re celebrating someone getting shot because they said words you don’t like, you’re the problem.’

@RichWr4u also deemed the remarks ‘unacceptable’, while others stated Bob Vylan are ‘not welcome’ in America. Earlier this year, the State Department banned the pair from performing in the US.

Bob Vylan themselves have not addressed the backlash to the speech, but they did take to Instagram after the show with a video of a pro-Palestine outside the venue.

The duo typically performs with Palestinian flags on stage with them, having been vocal since the war began and aptly naming their tour the Won’t Go Quietly Tour.

Meanwhile, Kirk, who was an ally of President Donald Trump, has been mourned in vigils around the world by hundreds of his supporters.

A vigil was held in central London on Saturday, with speakers hailing him as a ‘Christian martyr’ and calling for people to wage a ‘war on evil’.

Bob Vylan came under fire in June for their ‘death to the IDF’ chants at Glastonbury (Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire) Their tour is aptly named the Won’t Go Quietly Tour (Picture: Lauren Del Fabbro/PA Wire)

In a statement on its website, Club Paradiso said: ‘On Saturday September 13, during his performance at Paradiso, artist Bob Vylan made statements that many experienced as harsh and offensive.

‘Paradiso believes in the power of artistic freedom. Music, and punk in particular, has traditionally been a form of art that amplifies anger, discontent, and injustice without filter.

‘In a world on fire, artists sometimes choose language that sounds confrontational or violent. That is part of artistic expression, but not automatically language that we as a venue endorse.

‘Paradiso shares the outrage and concern regarding the genocidal violence taking place in Gaza.

‘That Bob Vylan raises his voice against it is legitimate and necessary. Should the Openbaar Ministerie (public prosecution service) wish to investigate whether any criminal offences have been committed, Paradiso will cooperate.’

The duo, who blend elements of punk with rap, hip-hop and grime, have upcoming gigs in the Netherlands at Doornroosje on September 15, and 013 on September 16.

Kirk, the CEO of Turning Point USA, split opinion with his views on matters such as immigration, women’s rights, and gun violence (Picture: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

A statement on the 013 website said: ‘We do not accept that an act like Bob Vylan, an outspoken punk-rap duo with a long history of political activism, is threatened with cancellation because of words born of outrage over a humanitarian disaster.’

It added: ‘We’re not alone in this: Paradiso and Doornroosje have also confirmed their decision to programme Bob Vylan. The threats made against Paradiso demonstrate how vulnerable the space for artistic expression can be. Intimidation should never determine who gets to perform on stage.’

Following Bob Vylan’s comments about the IDF at Worthy Farm in June, Avon and Somerset Police launched an investigation.

Earlier in the month, BBC director general Tim Davie said the corporation’s decision to broadcast Bob Vylan’s set live was ‘a very significant mistake’.

While facing questions from MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Tuesday, Davie said the punk duo’s set was ‘antisemitic’ and ‘deeply disturbing’.

The corporation issued an apology after the Bob Vylan set at Glastonbury, saying: ‘We deeply regret that such offensive and deplorable behaviour appeared on the BBC and want to apologise to our viewers and listeners and in particular the Jewish community.’

Robinson-Foster said in a social media post that ‘there was nothing antisemitic or criminal about anything I said at Glastonbury’.

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