UK
Police drop case against Bob Vylan over ‘death to the IDF’ chant
The force said the case had been ‘incredibly complex’
December 23, 2025 17:27
The force said the case had been ‘incredibly complex’
December 23, 2025 17:27Avon and Somerset Police have dropped the case against Bob Vylan over the band’s “death to the IDF” chant during their set at Glastonbury this summer.
In a press statement, the force announced: “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.”
UK punk duo Bob Vylan hit headlines after their set – during which the band’s frontman led the crowd in chants of “death, death to the IDF” and ranted about “Zionists” in the music industry – was broadcast live on the BBC.
Days later, Avon and Somerset police announced they were reviewing footage and launched a “criminal investigation”, with a spokesperson confirming at the time “this has been recorded as a public order incident.”
Today the force said that they had “proactively engaged with a number of groups, particularly among our Jewish communities,” adding they had provided “updates to them throughout”.
“We hugely value having that open dialogue, enabling us to provide any reassurance or support necessary,” they added.
Speaking about the broader impact of Bob Vylan’s set, Avon and Somerset Police said: “The comments made on Saturday 28 June drew widespread anger, proving that words have real-world consequences… Simply because there is a high threshold for criminal conviction should in no way minimise the concerns raised by many sectors of society around the nature of the comments made.”
The force described the case as “incredibly complex”, adding that they had sought advice from colleagues, both within Avon and Somerset and another police force; the National Police Chiefs’ Council hate crime leads; as well as the CPS and an independent barrister.
Additionally, they revealed that they had conducted a voluntary police interview, under caution, with a man in his mid-30s in November, contacted hundreds of people in the early stages of their enquiries, and sought information from approximately 200 members of the public.
Concluding their statement, the force said: “Policing’s responsibility in such cases is to work with the wider criminal justice system to determine if an offence has been committed, based on the law as it stands.”
They added: “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.”
To get more news, click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter.