Bob Vylan says Glastonbury police verdict 'should inspire others'
Punk duo Bob Vylan say that they hope the decision not to bring criminal charges over chants made during their Glastonbury 2025 performance "inspires others in the UK and around the world to speak up".Avon and Somerset Police said on Tuesday that they had found the case did not "meet the criminal threshold".Rapper and front man Bobby Vylan led crowds in chants of "death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)" during their West Holts Stage show on 28 June.The Israeli embassy in London and Jewish campaign groups have criticised the police decision.The band said: "The arrival of the news that no further action will be taken against any member of Bob Vylan regarding our Glastonbury performance in June 2025, should be something we as a band find celebration in."But the fact is, the criminal investigation of the chant was never warranted in the first place."Over the past six months, the media and politicians have consistently attacked us for using our art and platform to take a stand against the actions of Israel and its illegal occupying military force."The current Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip began after the 7 October attacks in 2023 when thousands of Hamas fighters invaded southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and taking hundreds hostage.This triggered a massive Israeli military offensive in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and led to criticism from governments and charities from around the world."Avon and Somerset Police have investigated a small segment of a performance that was evidently not hateful, but was a display of solidarity with the Palestinian people," said Bob Vylan."We hope that this news inspires others in the UK and around the world to speak up, and continue speaking up, in support of the Palestinian people, without fear."We have had our shows cancelled, visas revoked, our names tarnished and our lives upended, but what we have lost in peace and security, we have gained tenfold in spirit and camaraderie. And that is unbreakable."The London-based band, formed in Ipswich, were forced to pull out of a US tour after their visas were revoked.At the time, Glastonbury Festival issued a statement saying they were "appalled by the statements," and said that the comments "very much crossed the line".The decision not to bring charges has been criticised by the Israeli embassy in London and some Jewish charities.In a statement, the embassy said it was "deeply disappointing that vile calls for violence, repeated openly and without remorse, continue to fall on deaf ears".The Community Security Trust, a charity which provides protection for Jewish communities in the UK, said it "sends completely the wrong message at the worst possible time".A second charity, the Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: "Over the last two years, trust in the authorities has collapsed."With most British Jews now considering whether they have a future in the UK at all, over and over again it falls to us to explore all legal avenues to take action because the authorities will not."Avon and Somerset Police said it had conducted "a voluntary police interview under caution" with a man in his mid 30s and spoken to "approximately 200" members of the public to see if they had been the victim of a criminal offence.The force also sought advice from legal experts, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and other police forces and says it "proactively engaged with a number of groups," including Jewish communities."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," they said in a statement."No further action will be taken on the basis there is insufficient evidential for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction."
