An investigation into chants by rap duo Bob Vylan at Glastonbury Festival in June will not lead to any further action by police as there is “insufficient” evidence for there to be “a realistic prospect of conviction”, Avon and Somerset Police said.
In a statement, the force said: “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 evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction.”
Frontman Bobby Vylan, whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, led chants of “death, death to the IDF” during their BBC live-streamed performance at the Worthy Farm festival in June.
The force said it conducted a voluntary interview with a man in his mid-thirties, understood to be Mr Robinson-Foster, in November over the incident, adding he was informed of the outcome earlier on Tuesday.
The force added: “The comments made on Saturday 28 June drew widespread anger, proving that words have real-world consequences. 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.”
A Crown Prosecution Service 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.
“We continue to work closely with police and communities to identify, charge and prosecute antisemitic hate crimes and we will always look at ways we can do more. We have responded to the government’s hate crime review to identify where the law can be strengthened to enhance our ability to prosecute such hatred, deter offenders and achieve justice for victims.”
It comes after the Met Police said they would close their own investigation into a London performance, following advice from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Following their Glastonbury appearance, Bob Vylan were dropped from a number of festivals and performances, including Radar festival, a show at a German music venue and a US tour after their visas were revoked.
In an interview with Louis Theroux in October, Mr Robinson-Foster said he was “not regretful” of the chant and would “do it again tomorrow”.
