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Avon and Somerset Police have concluded their investigation into chants made during a Bob Vylan performance at Glastonbury Festival, determining that no further action will be taken.
In a statement, the force stated: “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 evidential for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction.”
The investigation centered on chants of “death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]” and other remarks made during the band’s set on the West Holts Stage, which was also broadcast live on BBC iPlayer.
The decision not to pursue charges has drawn criticism from the embassy of Israel in London and various Jewish charities.
In a statement posted on X, the embassy expressed “deep disappointment that vile calls for violence, repeated openly and without remorse, continue to fall on deaf ears.”
The Community Security Trust (CST), a charity focused on protecting Jewish communities in the UK, stated that the decision “sends completely the wrong message at the worst possible time.”
The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) added: “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.”
Following their Glastonbury appearance, the band faced cancellations from several festivals and performances, including Radar Festival, a show at a German music venue, and a US tour after their visas were reportedly revoked.
Bob Vylan is a punk-rap duo based in London, formed in Ipswich in 2017.
Bobby Vylan is the singer and guitarist, while Bobbie Vylan is the drummer. Both members use stage names to maintain their privacy and collectively refer to themselves as “the Bobs.”
As part of their investigation, police conducted “a voluntary police interview under caution” with a man in his mid-30s in November.
Officers also stated they spoke to “approximately 200” members of the public to determine if they had been victims of a criminal offense.
Avon and Somerset Police said they also sought legal precedents from other UK police forces that have dealt with similar incidents and advice from the National Police Chiefs’ Council hate crime leads, the Crown Prosecution Service (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 continued.
“Consistently the advice we have received has highlighted fundamental evidential difficulties that cannot be ignored,” police said.
“The comments made on Saturday 28 June 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.”
“We have proactively engaged with a number of groups, particularly among our Jewish communities, since this incident and provided updates to them throughout.”
Police confirmed that the man interviewed as part of their investigation has been informed of the outcome.
This decision follows a similar announcement from the Met Police, who stated they were closing their investigation into a related London performance following advice from the CPS.
The performance on the afternoon of 28 June sparked widespread backlash, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer describing the chants as “appalling.”
In September, the BBC’s complaints unit partially upheld complaints about the controversial performance.
It found that the broadcast breached editorial guidelines related to harm and offense but was cleared of violating rules on impartiality and inciting crime.
BBC chairman Samir Shah stated that the decision not to cut the live feed after the on-stage comments was “unquestionably an error of judgement.”
Former director general Tim Davie went on to apologize, saying: “I deeply regret that such offensive and deplorable behaviour appeared on the BBC.”
A small number of senior BBC staff stepped back from their day-to-day duties on music and live events following the festival.
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.”
After the festival, Bob Vylan said in a statement: “We are not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine.”
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