Readers' Letters: If Glastonbury chants aren't a race crime, what is?

If chants of “Death to the IDF” from Bob Vylan and Kneecap at Glastonbury isn’t hate crime and incitement to violence, then what is? Those words closely mirror constant “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” diatribes from Iran and the terrorist organisations it sponsors.

Publicity-seeking “musicians” prancing on the Glastonbury stage are acting as proxies for a theocratic rogue state which bans free speech and represses women, as well as torturing and executing untold thousands of its own people. Both Kneecap and Bob Vylan are silent on such matters; it’s abundantly clear which side they’re on.

Martin O’Gorman, Edinburgh

Bob Vylan singer Bobby Vylan - real name Pascal Robinson-Foster - crowd surfs during his performance at the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset. The performer led crowds in chants of 'death, death to the IDF' (Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire)

Golden rule

I should like to wholeheartedly agree with Robert Cairns (Letters, 1 July) in his enlightened comments on the Bob Vylan protest, “death to the IDF”.

This whole sorry issue has grown arms and legs, with first the BBC and then Keir Starmer entering the fray. As if that weren't enough, Vylan have been dropped by their record label and had their US visas withdrawn.

It is a sad day for democracy when any protest is deemed to be a criminal event. Robert Cairns is right to highlight the 56,000 Gazans killed by the IDF, many of them innocent women and children. I would go so far as to suggest “death to the IDF” could be mirrored by “death by the IDF”. The golden rule, “do unto others as you would want others to do unto you”, surely comes into play here.

All this is happening in a week when Palestine Action has gone to court to, hopefully, overturn the UK Government's shameful decision to dub them a terrorist group. Meanwhile, Israel gets away with murder, quite literally.

Ian Petrie, Edinburgh

Peace plan

Robert Cairns’s letter regarding the activities of the IDF in Gaza makes an impassioned plea for support to end the conflict. Such letters never include the answer that would bring about what they seek, namely the end of the action.

Hamas could return the remainder of the live hostages, the bodies of those who have died while a hostage and cease their conflict. I’m sure all Israel is looking for is to live in harmony with their neighbours. In fact, considering Israel has made the desert bloom, they could pass on their knowledge to the Palestinians.

C Lowson, Fareham, Hants

One-sided

The war of words rages on about Glastonbury but truth seems to have been the first casualty. Our society is becoming ever more polarised. It appears the management of Glastonbury are somewhat left leaning, hence right-wing bands are not welcome. The BBC is often similarly accused. Even our own now controversial Edinburgh International Book Festival is not keen on books supporting women's rights but does like Nicola Sturgeon and her own views on this subject.

The result is total imbalance. Did anyone see an Israeli flag at Glastonbury? And what are the chances of finding a pro-Israel author at Edinburgh this year? We appear to be being manipulated.

Gerald Edwards, Glasgow

Lesson learned

Labour’s Scottish education spokesperson, Pam Duncan-Glancy, while criticising the new curriculum, repeated the common opinion that Scottish education was once admired throughout the world

I was a teacher in England for several years. I lived in Australia, New Zealand and Canada and visited the USA often. These countries have strong Scottish links but in none of them did I ever hear anyone even mention Scottish education. Nor did this happen in any of the many other countries I visited. It is likely that very few even knew that Scotland had its own education system.

I spent six years as a pupil in a Scottish selective academy and gained five Highers. However, boredom was my prevailing feeling, Teachers were remote figures whom we were not expected to question or consult. There were no “guidance teachers” and no “personal and social” or “outdoor” education. We learned nothing of politics, economics, philosophy or sociology. Each day commenced with a long, boring religious service. There was little that prepared us for living in the "real world". A majority of children left school at the age of 14 having attended non-academic “junior high schools”. This veneration of past schooling is largely confined to people who never themselves experienced it.

The schools I attended are far, far better now than they were in my time. Talk of falling standards leaves me cold. I could not now pass school exams even in subjects I studied at university.I agree radical changes in schooling are needed but these should not involve copying past approaches.

John Munro, Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire

Path to pain?

It seems very mundane, perhaps trivial, to raise the issue of safety on Edinburgh’s Roseburn Walkway – now called the Roseburn “Path” – given the many other weighty political and economic issues raised in letters to The Scotsman.

The advice given to walkers and cyclists using the path is for both to keep to the left.

Rule 2 of the UK Highway Code states that: “If there is no pavement, keep to the right-hand side of the road so that you can see oncoming traffic.” This rule is part of the General Guidance for Pedestrians (Rules 1 to 6).

Vehicles now using the path include electric bikes, scooters, mountain and racing bikes – with some cyclists dressed as if they are taking part in the Tour de France and others appearing to be taking part in time trials on their way to work. Speeds of some cyclists must be reaching 15-20mph and I would suggest cyclists must therefore be regarded as “traffic” under the Highway Code, as cyclists colliding with pedestrians can kill people. Pedestrians walking towards oncoming cyclists can take avoiding action and move off the path in an emergency, but this is impossible if they have their backs to cyclists.

Given this situation there seem to be three options: The main one is to change the guidance and require walkers to use the right of the path so they can see oncoming cyclists in accordance with the rules of the Highway Code.

Alternatively, mark a centre line on the path and require cyclists to use one side and walkers the other, as they do in some other European countries or, less practical, set a speed limit on cyclists using the path. Walkers, who include children on their way to or coming back from school, are particularly at risk from 7.30-9.30am and 3.30-5.30 pm.

Guy Watt, Edinburgh

Propaganda

In an apparently desperate attempt to convey his view that all of the perceived enemies of the UK are friends of the SNP, Peter Hopkins (Letters, 30 June) seems either to be displaying incredible naivety or possessing deceitful intent to dissuade the people of Scotland from voting in support of independence.

The origin of his “revelation” is a report by Clemson University in South Carolina, USA, repeating its claim of Iranian funding of anti-UK propaganda spread via British social media accounts supposedly supportive of Scottish independence. Introducing a little objective perspective to any such propaganda that might possibly assist the SNP, this claim is analogous to complaining about a midgie bite while you are being trampled by an elephant.

For hundreds of years the people of Scotland have been subjected to a deviously sophisticated campaign of British indoctrination which has methodically promoted the suppression of Scottish culture, the clearance of Scotland’s land and the exploitation of its resources, especially its people.

It’s interesting Mr Hopkins includes Russia alongside countries such as China and North Korea in his claimed “Axis of Evil”, while remaining silent on the enormous amounts of Russian money sloshing around London to the benefit of the British Establishment and the London-based pro-Union political parties (including Reform UK).

The political bias of the BBC and much of the mainstream media is evident in the slanted reporting of recent events in the Middle East and is even more blatant in the persistent failure to reflect the view that Scotland should be able to determine its own future.

If Mr Hopkins is truly concerned about “subjugation” and “freedom” perhaps he could provide an honest appraisal of the carnage in Gaza and explain, without resorting to UK or Israeli government propaganda, why the UK Government is continuing to arm a fanatical Israeli Government regime with weapons and military intelligence?

In the meantime I will continue to weep for the many innocent lives still being lost while US, UK and Israeli propaganda prevails.

Stan Grodynski, Longniddry, East Lothian

Good question

Would we all not be safer if Britain's defence expenditure matched 5 per cent of the outlay on Jeff Bezos' wedding?

John V Lloyd, Inverkeithing Fife

Canal stories

Crawford Mackie’s statement (Letters, 30 June) that the attack by Britain/France/Israel on the Suez Canal “was a total failure” is not quite true. Militarily the attack was a total success. The subsequent withdrawal was the result of political pressure from the United States. A cynic might think that Eisenhower’s imminent bid for re-election as US president was not unconnected.

Robert Bowers, Longniddry, East Lothian

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