PUNK-RAP performers Bob Vylan will face no further action after an investigation into chants during a performance at the 2025 Glastonbury Festival.
During the set, the duo led a West Holts stage crowd in chants of “death, death to the IDF” – relating to the Israeli Defense Forces – which were streamed live on BBC iPlayer during coverage of the festival.
The protest – as the Israeli action in Gaza was in full effect – provoked outrage among much of the media, and led to a referral to police, with the band being dropped from a number of festival bills, and frontman Bobby Vylan believed to have been interviewed by officers.
Avon and Somerset Police looked into comments and shared details of the enquiries with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in July, when they “sought legal advice around a number of potential offences”.
“In late-October, the CPS provided us with a detailed explanation of the evidence it considered would be necessary for any person to be criminally prosecuted for a public order offence in relation to this matter,” a police spokesperson said.
As a result, the force said it carried out additional actions to ensure our enquiries were as comprehensive as possible, including:
- A voluntary police interview under caution with a man, in his mid-30s, in November.
- Seeking more information from around 200 members of the public around their experience to enable consideration of whether they may be a victim of a criminal offence.
- Gaining an understanding of any legal precedents by contacting other police forces in the country who have investigated similar incidents.
“This has been an incredibly complex case and one where we sought the views of other experienced colleagues, both within Avon and Somerset and another police force, and the National Police Chiefs’ Council hate crime leads, as well as further legal advice from the CPS, and an independent barrister before finalising our investigation,” the spokesperson went on.
The last of the advice was received on Monday (December 22), they said.
READ MORE: Police launch criminal probe into Bob Vylan anti-IDF chants at Glastonbury
“We sought specific consideration around the words stated, in terms of the intent behind them, the wider context of how people heard what was said, case law and anything else potentially relevant, including freedom of speech,” they said.
“Every case must be treated on its own merits.
“Consistently, the advice we have received has highlighted fundamental evidential difficulties that cannot be ignored.
“We have concluded, after reviewing all the evidence, that it does not meet the criminal threshold outlined by the CPS for any person to be prosecuted.
“No further action will be taken on the basis there is insufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction.”
They went on: “The comments made on Saturday, June 28, drew widespread anger, proving that words have real-world consequences.
“We believe it is right this matter was comprehensively investigated, every potential criminal offence was thoroughly considered, and we sought all the advice we could to ensure we made an informed decision.
“Policing’s responsibility in such cases is to work with the wider criminal justice system to determine if an offence has been committed, based on the law as it stands.
“Simply because there is a high threshold for criminal conviction should in no way minimise the concerns raised by many sectors of society around the nature of the comments made.
“We have proactively engaged with a number of groups, particularly among our Jewish communities, since this incident and provided updates to them throughout. This has always been a priority for us and has continued today around the communication of this investigative outcome.
“We hugely value having that open dialogue, enabling us to provide any reassurance or support necessary.
“We are committed to working positively with all our communities across Avon and Somerset in relation any matters that may arise in the future, because there is no place in society for hate of any kind.”
Bob Vylan has not yet reacted to the news, but earlier this month, announced they were taking legal action against broadcaster RTE after “they recklessly labelled us and our actions at Glastonbury antisemitic”.
“Such claims were not only dangerous, but they contributed to and fuelled a campaign of misinformation around the band and our performance at the festival,” they said.
They added: “We will fight at every instance we can to ensure that the truth is told.
“Nobody should be labelled antisemitic for standing up against Zionism and supporting the liberation of the Palestinian people.
“We hope our actions can be a reminder to people that we not only have the power to fight for freedom and truth wherever we meet oppression and falsehoods, but the moral duty, no matter what it may cost us. Free Palestine.”
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