A UK police investigation into chants by the rap duo Bob Vylan at Glastonbury Festival will not lead to any further action by prosecutors as there is “insufficient” evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction, police said.
Bobby Vylan, whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, led crowds on the festival’s West Holts stage in chants of “death, death to the IDF”, referring to the Israel Defence Forces, during their performance in June.
Shortly afterwards, Avon and Somerset police said a criminal investigation was under way, with a senior detective appointed to lead it.
Last month, a man in his mid-30s was interviewed under caution in relation to the comments made on stage. He was not formally arrested. The force did not name the individual who was interviewed and he was informed of the outcome on Tuesday.
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In a statement, Avon and Somerset police said: “No further action will be taken on the basis there is insufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction.”
It added: “The comments made on Saturday, June 28th, drew widespread anger, proving that words have real-world consequences.
“We believe it is right that 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.”
The force shared the details of its initial inquiries with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in July and sought legal advice around a number of offences.
A CPS spokesperson said: “We recognise the strength of public feeling about comments made during Bob Vylan’s set at Glastonbury festival in June, particularly among the Jewish community.
“We provided early investigative advice to Avon and Somerset police on what evidence might be needed to meet the legal test for charging, but we have not been asked to make a charging decision in this case.
“A number of offences were considered which each have evidential requirements to prove, but Avon and Somerset police have concluded there is insufficient evidence for there to be any realistic prospect of conviction and will take no further action.”
In response to the decision, the Community Security Trust, a charity that provides protection to Jewish communities in the UK, said: “It is incredibly disappointing that the police and CPS have decided not to charge in this case, particularly when police forces in London and Manchester are adopting a stronger approach to tackling hateful rhetoric.
“It sends completely the wrong message at the worst possible time.”
The Metropolitan Police said last month it would close its own investigation into Bob Vylan’s gig in May at Alexandra Palace in north London, after advice from the CPS.
In September, the BBC partly upheld complaints over its decision to stream the punk duo’s performance at Glastonbury. — Guardian
