Police end probe of Bob Vylan over “Death to the IDF” chant at Glastonbury

Police in the United Kingdom revealed this week thatt their investigation into punk act Bob Vylan has ended and the duo would not face charges.

A probe into the band was launched after they lead chants of “death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Force]” at Glastonbury, the UK’s largest summer music festival. Local police said they had “insufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction.”

“We have concluded, after reviewing all the evidence, that it does not meet the criminal threshold… for any person to be prosecuted,” local police shared in a statement.

The band refused to celebrate the news on Instagram, instead focusing on the “scare tactics of the British government” meant to quiet dissent “against the actions of Israel and its illegal occupying military force.”

“The criminal investigation of the chant was never warranted in the first place,” they wrote. “We hope that this news inspires others in the UK to speak up…in support of the Palestinian people.”

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The summer music festival was notably tense in 2025, as broadcasters and organizers feared anti-Israel rhetoric over the ongoing war in Gaza. Irish Republican rappers Kneecap faced a BBC blackout after sharing statements against the war during a set at Coachella. Both Vylan and Kneecap had their US visas revoked following high-profile incidents of condemning Israel’s actions.

“Maybe visas get revoked, you’re not allowed in America again, it’s not ideal – but Jesus Christ, there’s people being bombed from the f**king skies, and people being starved to death,” Kneecap’s Mo Chara told the Guardian at the time. “We’re in the process [of applying for new visas], hopefully it works. But if it doesn’t, I can go about my day without having to worry about my next meal or my family being bombed. Visa revoked, I can get over.”