British authorities announced on Tuesday that they would not pursue any legal action regarding remarks made about the Israeli military during a show by punk duo Bob Vylan at the Glastonbury music festival in June. Avon and Somerset Police stated that upon assessing the evidence, it did not meet the required criminal threshold for prosecution according to the Crown Prosecution Service.

During the performance, lead singer Bobby Vylan chanted “death, death to the IDF,” referencing the Israel Defence Forces’ actions in Gaza. However, the police stated that there was insufficient evidence to support a conviction.

The investigation involved interviewing a man in his mid-30s and contacting around 200 individuals from the public. The on-stage comments received strong criticism, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemning them as “appalling hate speech.” The Israeli embassy in London also expressed disapproval. The BBC faced backlash for not interrupting a livestream of the performance.

Following the incident, Bobby Vylan shared on social media that he received both support and hatred for the chant. The police, in their statement, mentioned considering the intent behind the words, broader context, legal precedents, and freedom of speech issues before closing the inquiry.

The police emphasized that the investigation was thorough, taking into account the real-world impact of words. They also collaborated with Jewish community groups during the process. Earlier this year, British officials had stated that the performances by Bob Vylan and Irish group Kneecap at the festival were under criminal investigation.

The terrorism charge against a Kneecap member for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag was dismissed in September. Additionally, one member of the group was prohibited from entering Canada earlier in the year after initial reports suggested the entire group faced entry restrictions.