British duo Bob Vylan were one of a few acts at the Glastonbury festival in England this year who vocally opposed the Israeli occupation of Palestine during their sets. Their "Death to the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces)" chant even prompted the revocation of their United States visas, a canceled tour, their talent agency UTA dropping them, and a criminal investigation into the chants for their allegedly inciting or actionable nature.
However, according to AllHipHop, the Avon and Somerset Police dropped their investigation on Tuesday (December 23). There was apparently not enough evidence "for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction." Thus, the duo will face no charges for their actions. Via Instagram, the duo shared a lengthy message to acknowledge this.
"What we have lost in peace and security, we have gained tenfold in spirit and camaraderie. And that is unbreakable," the duo's Bobby Vylan, real name Pascal Robinson-Foster, captioned his IG post.
In their message, they acknowledged that they should celebrate this development, but they recognized that this criminal investigation was unwarranted to begin with. They called out politicians and media for dragging their advocacy on behalf of Palestinian people and said that small segment of their non-hateful performance was just a display of solidarity. Overall, the message is about the more resourceful forces that attempt to quell public sentiment, and they hope more folks can follow their lead. "May all oppressed people the world over, resist the boot of tyranny on the neck of freedom," the message ends.
Bob Vylan's Glastonbury Set
Bob Vylan even got support from homegrown hip-hop. Back in July, the one and only Chuck D defended the duo's actions at Glastonbury.
"When people say death to a country, they’re not saying death to a people,” he remarked during an interview. “They’re saying death to imperialism, death to colonialism. Bob Vylan ain’t got no tanks. They’re using words to say something must end. You can’t really kill nobody with a guitar or a microphone, but you could kill somebody with a drone and a f***ing tank."
After this turbulent saga is over, we will see what's next for Bob Vylan.
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