It’s a good day to be Bob Vylan. Months after the British rap-punk duo faced a swarm of backlash for leading their Glastonbury crowd in a “death to the IDF” chant back in June, UK police have announced that they’re ending their criminal investigation against them and “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 [Crown Prosecution Service] for any person to be prosecuted,” the Avon and Somerset Police said in a statement. “No further action will be taken on the basis there is insufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction.”
Bob Vylan shared a statement in response this morning, which reads in part:
The arrival of the news that no further action will be taken against any member of Bob Vylan regarding our Glastonbury performance in June 2025, should be something we as a band find celebration in. But the fact is, the criminal investigation of the chant was never warranted in the first place… We hope that this news inspires others in the UK and around the world to speak up, and continue speaking up, in support of the Palestinian people, without fear. We have had our shows cancelled, visas revoked, our names tarnished and our lives upended, but what we have lost in peace and security, we have gained tenfold in spirit and camaraderie. And that is unbreakable.
Shortly after Bob Vylan’s pro-Palestine chant at Glastonbury — which festival organizers said made them “appalled” and the BBC called “deeply offensive” — the US State Department revoked the band’s visas. They were dropped from multiple festival lineups, had multiple shows and full tours canceled, and even took legal action against Irish broadcaster RTÉ for their misleading reporting on the matter. Though Bob Vylan did shut down another crowd’s “death to the IDF” chant at their first post-Glasto gig, they’ve maintained their hard stance in support of Palestine. See their new statement below.
