Police Initiate Investigation into Bob Vylan and Kneecap's Glastonbury Performances

Police Initiate Investigation into Bob Vylan and Kneecap's Glastonbury Performances

Avon and Somerset Police have commenced a criminal investigation into the performances by musical acts Bob Vylan and Kneecap at the Glastonbury Festival on Saturday. The investigation aims to determine whether any comments made during their sets constitute criminal offenses.

A police spokesperson stated: "This has been recorded as a public order incident at this time while our enquiries are at an early stage." A senior detective has been appointed to review footage of the performances to assess the nature of the comments made.

The BBC, which broadcast Bob Vylan's performance live, acknowledged that it should have cut away from the broadcast when the band's singer, Pascal Robinson-Foster (known as Bobby Vylan), led a chant that included the phrase "death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]." The corporation stated it would "look at our guidance around live events so we can be sure teams are clear on when it is acceptable to keep output on air" and labeled the remarks made during the performance as antisemitic.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy addressed Parliament on Monday, describing the scenes broadcast as "appalling and unacceptable." She indicated that outstanding questions remain, including why the feed "wasn't immediately cut," why it was broadcast live "given the concerns regarding other acts in the weeks preceding the festival," and what due diligence had been conducted ahead of deciding to air Bob Vylan's performance. Nandy added, "When the rights and safety of people and communities are at risk, and when the national broadcaster fails to uphold its own standards, we will intervene," and mentioned she would continue discussions with the BBC in the coming days.

Broadcast regulator Ofcom expressed concern over the BBC's coverage, stating that the corporation "clearly has questions to answer" regarding its decision to air the performance live. The government also questioned why the comments were broadcast.

Glastonbury Festival organizers previously stated they were "appalled" by the comments, which they believe "crossed a line."

On Sunday, Robinson-Foster responded to the controversy on Instagram, writing, "I said what I said," and issued a statement in defense of political activism, without addressing his on-stage comments in more detail.

Subsequently, both members of Bob Vylan, who were scheduled to embark on a tour of the United States later this year, have reportedly had their U.S. visas revoked. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau commented on X: "Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country."

In response, Bobby Vylan released a video statement on social media on Monday, stating that politicians should be "utterly ashamed" about where their "allegiances lie." He added, "First it was Kneecap, now it's us two. Regardless of how it was said, calling for an end to the slaughter of innocents is never wrong. To civilians of Israel, understand this anger is not directed at you, and don't let your government persuade you that a call against an army is a call against the people."

Avon and Somerset Police also confirmed that the criminal investigation would assess Kneecap's Glastonbury performance. The Irish-language rap group is known for making pro-Palestinian and political comments during their live performances and has attracted controversy in the past. Band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terrorism offense for allegedly displaying the flag of the proscribed terrorist organization Hezbollah at a previous event. He has denied the charge.

Although there was no live stream of Kneecap's performance, the BBC later uploaded a largely unedited version of the set to its Glastonbury highlights page on BBC iPlayer.