A man in his mid-30s participated in a voluntary police interview on Monday afternoon regarding controversial statements made during Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury Festival performance in June.
The man, believed to be the band’s lead singer, spoke with officers as part of an ongoing investigation by Avon and Somerset Police.
The inquiry has been underway for approximately four months, focusing on whether any criminal offences occurred when Bob Vylan led festival-goers in chanting “death, death to the IDF” during their set on June 28.
Officers sought guidance from the Crown Prosecution Service, receiving their recommendations during the week beginning October 20.
The incident has been classified as a public order matter whilst investigations continue.
The band’s performance was broadcast live by the BBC during their Saturday afternoon slot at the festival.
The BBC’s former director-general, Tim Davie, who stepped down from his position this week, was present at Glastonbury and was personally consulted regarding the broadcast.
The corporation later determined through its executive complaints unit that airing the performance violated editorial guidelines concerning harm and offence.
PA
Avon and Somerset Police initiated their investigation to establish whether criminal offences had been committed during the on-stage incident.
In an interview with Louis Theroux recorded on 1 October, the duo’s frontman, Pascal Robinson-Foster, expressed no remorse for his actions, stating he would “do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays”.
The musician maintained that any negative consequences he faced were “minimal compared to what people in Palestine are going through”.
When questioned about the meaning behind the controversial chant, Mr Robinson-Foster suggested the specific wording was chosen for its rhythmic qualities rather than literal intent.
He explained that “‘Death, Death to IDF’ rhymes” whilst “‘End, End the IDF’ does not rhyme, wouldn’t have caught on”.
The performer emphasised that the focus should be on Palestinian conditions rather than his words, asking: “Who cares about the chant?”
The band faced significant repercussions following the incident, including being dropped by their agency UTA and having their US visas revoked, which forced them to cancel their North American tour.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the chant as “appalling hate speech”.
Mr Robinson-Foster previously dismissed criticism from Blur’s Damon Albarn, who had described the performance as “one of the most spectacular misfires I’ve seen in my life” and accused the rapper of “goose-stepping in tennis gear”.
The Bob Vylan frontman called Mr Albarn’s response “disgusting” and “disappointing”, taking particular issue with the Nazi Germany reference.
He rejected suggestions from the Community Security Trust that his performance contributed to increased antisemitic incidents, stating he didn’t believe he had created an unsafe environment for Jewish communities.