No charges over Bob Vylan Glastonbury IDF chants, police confirm
- Text by Ella Glossop
- Photography by Stefan Bollman
Case closed — The investigation has been dropped, with Avon and Somerset Police saying that it did not meet the threshold for prosecution.
An investigation into chants made during a Bob Vylan performance at Glastonbury Festival has concluded with no further action, Avon and Somerset Police have said.
The force reviewed all the available evidence and determined it did not meet the criminal threshold required by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for a prosecution.
“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,” police said in a statement.
“No further action will be taken on the basis there is insufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction.”
The investigation related to chants of “death, death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]” and other comments made during the rap duo’s set on the West Holts Stage in June, which was also broadcast on a BBC iPlayer livestream. Singer-guiatrist Bobby Vylan, whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, led the crowd in the chants.
Police said a criminal investigation was launched shortly after the festival, with a senior detective appointed to lead the enquiries. As part of the process, officers carried out “a voluntary police interview under caution” in November with a man in his mid-30s, who has since been informed of the outcome.
Officers also spoke to “approximately 200” members of the public to establish whether anyone considered themselves the victim of a criminal offence.
Avon and Somerset Police said it had sought legal precedents from other forces and advice from the National Police Chiefs’ Council hate crime leads, the CPS and “an independent barrister”.
“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,” the statement said.
The force added: “Consistently the advice we have received has highlighted fundamental evidential difficulties that cannot be ignored.”
Police said they believed it was right that the matter was “comprehensively investigated”, adding: “Every potential criminal offence was thoroughly considered, and we sought all the advice we could to ensure we made an informed decision.”
It also confirmed that it had engaged with a number of groups, “particularly among our jewish communities”, providing updates throughout the investigation.
The force reiterated that the decision not to take further action was based on “insufficient evidential” grounds and the lack of “a realistic prospect of conviction”.
Ella Glossop is Huck’s social editor. Follow her on Bluesky.
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