Police Interview Man As Investigation Into Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury Set Continues

Police have questioned a man over Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury set as the investigation into the ‘public order incident’ moves forward.

A man in his 30s has been interviewed by police in connection with comments made during Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury Festival performance earlier this year.

Avon and Somerset Police confirmed to the BBC that the man voluntarily attended an interview with officers on Monday, November 10. The investigation stems from the punk-rap duo’s June 28 set on the festival’s West Holts Stage, where frontman Bobby Vylan voiced support for Palestine, criticised the Israeli military, and spoke against the BBC and the UK and US governments.

During the set, Bobby asked the crowd, “Have you heard this one?” before leading a chant of “Death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces].” The incident prompted a criminal investigation and led to significant fallout for the band, including the cancellation of multiple international shows. Their US visas were revoked ahead of a planned tour, and two UK dates in Manchester and Leeds have been postponed until next year.

Police said, “The matter has been recorded as a public order incident while we continue to investigate and consider all relevant legislation,” adding that they received legal advice about the case from the Crown Prosecution Service in October. They also explained that voluntary interviews are “commonly used in investigations where an individual agrees to attend and an arrest is not considered necessary,” noting that attendees “are interviewed under caution and have the same legal rights as anybody who is arrested.”

Bob Vylan will perform at London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town on November 11 (UK time) as part of their ‘We Won’t Go Quietly’ UK tour. Earlier in the day, the Metropolitan Police announced it would impose Public Order Act conditions on the event to prevent “serious disruption and serious disorder,” acknowledging that two protests had been planned in the area for the same time.

Last week, Bob Vylan won “substantial damages” following defamatory claims about a supposed “Nazi salute” at one of their gigs. Rahman Lowe Solicitors confirmed on November 7 that Bobby had received an apology and damages from Reach plc, the publisher of the Manchester Evening News, which has since issued a full correction, paid legal costs, and agreed not to repeat the allegation.