Avon and Somerset Police have initiated a criminal investigation into performances by Bob Vylan and Kneecap at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday.
According to the police force, a senior detective has been appointed to examine whether remarks made by either act constitute a criminal offense, following a review of available footage.
“This has been recorded as a public order incident at this time while our enquiries are at an early stage,” the police statement added.
In Parliament on Monday, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy addressed the issue, labeling the broadcasted scenes as “appalling and unacceptable”.
Authorities have not yet specified which segments of Bob Vylan’s or Kneecap’s performances are under scrutiny as part of the criminal investigation.
This development follows the BBC’s admission that it should have ceased live broadcast of Bob Vylan’s performance, during which vocalist Pascal Robinson-Foster, known as Bobby Vylan, led a chant of “death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]”.
The remarks prompted criticism directed at both the English punk-rap duo and the BBC for its coverage of the performance.
The BBC stated it would “look at our guidance around live events so we can be sure teams are clear on when it is acceptable to keep output on air,” and characterized the performance’s remarks as antisemitic.
Lisa Nandy informed MPs that she contacted the BBC’s director general immediately after the broadcast.
She highlighted unanswered questions, including the reasons behind the failure to “immediately cut” the feed, the decision to broadcast it live “given the concerns regarding other acts in the weeks preceding the festival,” and the due diligence conducted before featuring Bob Vylan on television.
“When the rights and safety of people and communities are at risk, and when the national broadcaster fails to uphold its own standards, we will intervene,” she affirmed, pledging further discussions with the BBC in the coming days.
Earlier, broadcast regulator Ofcom stated that the BBC “clearly has questions to answer” regarding its coverage, and the government questioned the decision to air the comments live.
Glastonbury organizers previously expressed their “appallment” at the comments, deeming them to have “crossed a line.”
On Sunday, Robinson-Foster addressed the controversy on Instagram, stating “I said what I said” and issuing a statement in defense of political activism, without directly addressing his on-stage comments.
Reportedly, both members of Bob Vylan—who were scheduled for a US tour later this year—have had their US visas revoked.
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau posted on X: “Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.”
In response, Bobby Vylan released a video statement on social media on Monday, asserting that politicians should be “utterly ashamed” of their “allegiances”.
“First it was Kneecap, now it’s us two,” he stated.
“Regardless of how it was said, calling for an end to the slaughter of innocents is never wrong. To civilians of Israel, understand this anger is not directed at you, and don’t let your government persuade you that a call against an army is a call against the people.
“To Keir, Kemi and the rest of you, I’ll get you at a later date.”
Avon and Somerset Police confirmed the criminal investigation would also assess Kneecap’s Glastonbury performance.
The Irish-language rap group is known for pro-Palestinian views and political statements during performances, having attracted controversy in the past.
Band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, known as Mo Chara, was previously charged with a terrorism offense for allegedly displaying the flag of Hezbollah, a proscribed terrorist organization, at a performance. He has denied the charge.
Although Kneecap’s performance was not streamed live, the BBC later uploaded a largely unedited version of the set to its Glastonbury highlights page on BBC iPlayer.