British authorities announced on Tuesday that they will not be pursuing legal action regarding remarks made about the Israeli military during a Bob Vylan performance at the Glastonbury music festival in June. Avon and Somerset Police stated that the evidence did not meet the criteria for prosecution as outlined by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
During the performance, lead singer Bobby Vylan chanted “death, death to the IDF,” in reference to the Israel Defence Forces’ activities in Gaza. The police stated that there was insufficient evidence to support a conviction.
The police revealed that they had interviewed a man in his mid-30s and had reached out to around 200 members of the public as part of their investigation. The on-stage comments received criticism from various quarters, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who labeled the chant as “appalling hate speech,” and the Israeli embassy in London. The BBC also faced backlash for not interrupting a livestream of the performance.
After the incident, Bobby Vylan took to social media, mentioning that he had received both support and criticism for the chant. He emphasized the importance of teaching children to advocate for the changes they desire.
In their statement, Avon and Somerset Police emphasized that they considered the intent behind the remarks, the broader context, legal precedents, and freedom of speech issues before concluding the investigation. They acknowledged the real-world impact of words and mentioned that they had engaged with Jewish community organizations throughout the process.
Earlier this year, British authorities had indicated that comments made by Bob Vylan and the Irish group Kneecap at the festival would be investigated. A terrorism charge against a Kneecap member for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag was dismissed in September. Additionally, a member of Kneecap was prohibited from entering Canada earlier in the year after initial reports of the entire group facing entry denial.