Joe SkirkowskiWest of England
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Police launched an investigation after the band’s performance at the Glastonbury Festival
An investigation by Avon and Somerset Police into chants made during a Bob Vylan performance at Glastonbury has concluded no further action will be taken.
“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,” the force 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.”
The investigation related to chants of “death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]” and other comments made during the band’s performance on the West Holts Stage, which was also broadcast via a live stream on the BBC iPlayer.
The decision not to bring charges has been criticised by the embassy of Israel in London, as well as Jewish charities.
In a statement posted to X, 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 (CST), a charity which provides protection for Jewish communities in the UK, said that the decision “sends completely the wrong message at the worst possible time”.
A second charity, the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), 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.”
Following their Glastonbury appearance, the band were dropped from a number of festivals and performances including Radar
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