Police end investigation into Bob Vylan’s IDF chants at Glastonbury | Bob Vylan
The investigation into hymns sung by rap duo Bob Vylan at the Glastonbury festival will not lead to further action by prosecutors as there is “insufficient” evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction, police have said.
Bobby Vylan, whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, led the crowd on the festival’s West Holts stage in chanting “death, death to the Israel Defense Forces” during his performance in June, referring to the Israeli Defense Forces.
Shortly afterwards, Avon and Somerset police said a criminal investigation was ongoing and a senior detective had been appointed to lead the investigation.
Last month, a man in his mid-30s was interviewed under caution because of comments made on stage. He was not officially arrested. Police did not name the person interviewed and he was notified of the result on Tuesday.
Avon and Somerset Police said in a statement: “No further action will be taken as there is insufficient evidence to suggest there is a realistic prospect of conviction.”
He added: “Comments made on Saturday 28 June sparked widespread outrage and proved that words have real-world consequences.
“We believe it is right that this matter is thoroughly investigated, every possible criminal offense has been assessed in detail and we have received all the advice we can to ensure we make an informed decision.”
The force shared details of its initial investigations with the Crown Prosecution Service in July and sought legal advice on a range of offences.
A CPS spokesman said: “We are aware of the strong public sentiment around the comments made during Bob Vylan’s set at the Glastonbury festival in June, particularly among the Jewish community.
“We gave Avon and Somerset Police early investigation advice on what evidence might be required to meet the legal test for charging, but in this case we were not asked to make a charging decision.
“A number of offenses were assessed, each requiring proof, but Avon and Somerset Police concluded there was insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and will take no further action.”
The Metropolitan Police said last month it would close its own investigation into Bob Vylan’s concert at Alexandra Palace in north London in May, on the advice of the CPS.
In September, the BBC partially upheld complaints about its decision to broadcast the punk duo’s performance at Glastonbury.
