NUSU to hold disciplinary hearing against Newcastle Amnesty Society over Bob Vylan post

Newcastle Amnesty Society is required to attend a disciplinary hearing over its use of a viral Bob Vylan sound on a social media post.

The trending sound includes the chant “death to the IDF,” referring to the Israel Defence Forces, and was used on a “meet the committee” upload.

The society claims Newcastle University Students’ Union (NUSU) asked them to revise the post but did not formally request its deletion, leaving the decision to the society.

Newcastle Amnesty Society allege it was later approached again by NUSU, who informed it that a complaint had been filed regarding its use of the Bob Vylan clip, and disciplinary action would be taken. A hearing has since been set for Thursday 11th December.

The society has criticised the NUSU for a “lack of transparency.” According to Newcastle Amnesty Society, the only reason provided so far by NUSU for the disciplinary action is that the post was flagged as violent, and the contents of the complaint will not be disclosed to them until 24 hours before the hearing.

NUSU has confirmed the investigation is taking place and said it remains committed to upholding the right to freedom of speech. A spokesperson added that all students are expected to follow the union’s code of conduct, and necessary action is taken to prevent harassment and intimidation of others. The University of Newcastle fully endorsed its statement and declined to comment further.

Bob Vylan led the chant at Glastonbury Festival this year via YouTube

Newcastle Amnesty Society claims NUSU has exhibited “a pattern of scrutiny” toward Palestine-related activism, with both they and the Palestine Society facing significant backlash for minor details.

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The sound clip originates from Bob Vylan’s controversial performance at Glastonbury on 28th June 2025, which was streamed live on BBC iPlayer. During the set, Bobby Vylan, the rap-punk duo’s frontman, led a chant of “death, death to the IDF” in protest of the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

The performance sparked significant backlash directed at Bob Vylan, resulting in cancelled shows, the revocation of their US visas, and their agency UTA dropping them.

The BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit later reviewed the set and concluded that, while it breached editorial guidelines relating to harm and offence, it did not violate the BBC’s rules on impartiality or encourage or incite crime. Avon and Somerset Police has also launched an ongoing investigation into the performance.

Following the festival, Bob Vylan posted on Instagram: “We are not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine.”

NUSU has confirmed an investigation is underway

In a recent Instagram post, Newcastle Amnesty Society accused NUSU of applying a double standard that endorses Zionist viewpoints. It said: “We have watched our SU [Students’ Union], and others nationally, adopting framings that treat anti-Zionism as misconduct, while validating the narrative of groups like the Union of Jewish Students, which openly identifies as a Zionist organisation and publicly supports the ‘Israeli’ state and its military actions.”

These allegations garner additional significance in the context of Amnesty International UK’s upcoming report, which is reportedly using Newcastle University as a case study on the repression of student voices in UK higher education. The report is part of Amnesty International UK’s Defend Dissent campaign, aimed at defending protest rights in UK universities.

On 20th November, the Newcastle University student council passed a motion to begin lobbying the university to adopt the Defend Dissent Charter, which Amnesty hopes five UK universities will sign by next year.

A Newcastle University Students’ Union spokesperson said: “The Students’ Union has received a complaint regarding the use of the Bob Vylan sound clip by the Amnesty International Society on a recent social media post. An investigation is currently taking place following the union’s standard process outlined with the constitution. The society have been sent the complaint in full and have the right to respond.

“The Students’ Union is committed to upholding the right to freedom of speech. We also ask that our student members follow our code of conduct, to respect our values, treat others with respect and take all necessary action to prevent harassment and intimidation of others.”

Bob Vylan did not respond to a request for comment. 

Newcastle Amnesty Society declined a request for comment.

Featured image via YouTube and Instagram