Avon and Somerset Police have confirmed that Belfast rap group Kneecap will face no further action following an investigation into their performance at Glastonbury Festival on 28 June. The force stated that after seeking advice from the Crown Prosecution Service, there was insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence.
The investigation centred on comments made during Kneecap's set on the West Holts stage, where the group led chants including “Fuck Keir Starmer”. However, police said inquiries were continuing into separate comments made during a performance by the duo Bob Vylan, which preceded Kneecap's set.
In response, Kneecap described the development as “one element of the political policing intimidation attempt is over”. The band had earlier criticised the police for publicly announcing the investigation, calling it “political”, “targeted”, and “state intimidation”. They maintained that no law was broken during their performance, which drew a large crowd and caused the area to close an hour beforehand.
One Kneecap member, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, known as Mo Chara, faces a separate terrorism charge for allegedly holding a Hezbollah flag at a London gig last November. The 27-year-old denies the charge and is due in court in August.
During Bob Vylan's performance, Pascal Robinson-Foster, who performs as Bobby Vylan, led chants of “Death, death to the IDF” and spoke of working for a “fucking Zionist”. In a statement, Bob Vylan clarified they are not against any race or group but advocate for dismantling a “violent military machine”.
