Controversial British hip–hop punk act Bob Vylan has ignited outrage following a performance in Amsterdam. Vocalist Bobby Vylan (a.k.a. Pascal Robinson-Foster) celebrated the death of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk, saying
I wanna dedicate this next one to an absolute piece of shit of a human being … Rest in piss, Charlie Kirk, you piece of shit.
The remark was met with loud cheers inside the packed Paradiso, where the audience applauded the death of a father of two, best known for debating students on U.S. college campuses and defending right-wing conservative values.
The Amsterdam show also featured repeated chants of “Death, death to the IDF,” a slogan the group has promoted at earlier concerts. Vylan further urged the crowd to “chase Zionists and fascists off the streets,” insisting that the band was not antisemitic but “anti-Zionist.”
Mayor of Amsterdam Femke Halsema responded by stating that
Artistic freedom should never mean that concertgoers or Amsterdam residents feel threatened or incited to violence.
“It’s crazy that this lunatic is allowed to perform in the Netherlands,” wrote Geert Wilders, leader of the right-wing Party for Freedom (PVV), on X, formerly Twitter.
This is not the first time Bob Vylan has faced repercussions. The band has already been banned from Germany, while the U.S. revoked their visa, citing incitement concerns.
“Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.” U.S. deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau declared.
