UK police drop probe into Bob Vylan’s chants about Israeli military

British police have said they will not take any further action in response to comments made by punk-rap duo Bob Vylan about the Israeli military at a June Glastonbury music festival.

According to Avon and Somerset Police, the remarks did not “require for any person to be prosecuted” under the criminal law, as the statement was stated on Tuesday.

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The group’s lead singer, Pascal Robinson-Foster, who goes by the name Bobby Vylan, sung chants of “death, death” directed at the Israeli military over its genocidal war in Gaza during the performance.

There is “insufficient evidence to provide a realistic chance of conviction,” according to the police. In addition, the force conducted an investigation that involved contacting about 200 people, including a man in his mid-30s.

The BBC’s live-streaming of the chant on June 28 as part of its coverage of Glastonbury caused a lot of controversy. The broadcaster later thanked the broadcaster for showing what it described as “such offensive and repulsive behavior,” and its complaints unit determined that the BBC had broken editorial guidelines.

Before concluding the investigation, Avon and Somerset Police claimed to have taken into account the context, relevant case law, and issues with freedom of expression.

We think it is appropriate that this matter was thoroughly investigated, that every potential criminal offense was taken into account, and that we sought every possible counsel to ensure that we made an informed choice, the statement read.

“The words made on Saturday, June 28, drew widespread outcry, demonstrating that words have real-world effects.”

Following the performance, Bob Vylan’s visas were voided in the United States, causing the tour’s cancellation.

Irish broadcaster RTE is accused of fabricating its own anti-Semitic chants during the Glastonbury performance by Bob Vylan, and it has filed a defamation lawsuit against the company.

Following chants of “Free Palestine” during a performance, the British police also dropped an investigation into the Irish-language rap group Kneecap.