Met police confirm no further action on Vylan’s Al Quds Day ‘Death to the IDF’ chant

The Metropolitan police have confirmed that after receiving advice from the Crown Prosecution Service, they will not proceed with any action against ‘Bobby Vylan’ for chants of “Death to the IDF” which he made at the Al Quds Day Rally in March.

In a statement released this afternoon, the police confirmed that “on Sunday March 15, the Met was made aware of chanting by a speaker at the Al Quds demonstration and an investigation was launched into the language used.

“We take reports like this incredibly seriously and we recognise the concerns caused, particularly among London’s Jewish communities.

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“Early investigative advice was sought from the Crown Prosecution Service. Following consideration of that advice, officers have concluded that no further action will be taken.

“We continue to work closely with community representatives to ensure the safety and security of Jewish Londoners.”

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In a response on social media, Vylan, whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, said: “After 5 months of ‘investigating’, the Met police have decided to NFA me for the same thing their mates Avon and Somerset police couldn’t bring a charge about for when it was performed live on the BBC. Great use of resources guys! Maybe now you can stop the harassment and do some real work.”

Robinson-Foster and his band, called Bob Vylan, first came to national public attention when he used his performance slot at the June 2025 Glastonbury Festival to launch the chant, which the BBC did not censor at the time. In September 2025, the corporation’s Executive Complaints Unit concluded its investigation into the incident, describing how during the show Robinson-Foster, the band’s front man, “led the Glastonbury audience in chanting ‘Death, death to the IDF’ (as well as reciting the slogans ‘From the river to the sea’ and ‘Free, free Palestine’) and an earlier segment in which the same member referred to the boss of a record company he once worked for who ‘would talk about his support for Israel’ and whom he went on to describe in the most abusive terms, using the most offensive language, also referring to ‘f…ing Zionists’.”

The ECU concluded that “references to ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘From the river to the sea’, while viewed by some as implying the disappearance of the state of Israel, can also be regarded as no more than expressions of support for aspirations to a Palestinian state and do not of themselves threaten violent action”, going on to state that “’Death, death to the IDF’ is clearly more problematic, but it is directed at an institution rather than individuals, and one which is not defined by ethnic or religious composition.

“However, it occurred in a context coloured by the earlier comments about the record company boss, which seemed to the ECU to have the effect (whether intended or not) of evoking a certain stereotype of Jewish influence in the entertainment industry.  Although Bob Vylan referred to ‘Zionists’ rather than ‘Jews’, that appeared to the ECU to be a distinction with very little difference in this instance.  The ECU therefore shares the view that the content of this act, taken in the round, can fairly be characterised as antisemitic.”

In July of this year, Bob Vylan announced that it was suing the BBC for defamation, stating that the Corporation had “wasted no time in placing labels on us that did not, do not and never will fit”, before accusing it of attempting to “silence those that oppose the heinous crimes taking place in Palestine”.

The Al Quds Day Rally in March, an event strongly linked to supporters of the Iranian regime, came weeks after that regime is understood to have killed tens of thousands of its own citizens over a period of 72 hours. In contrast to previous years, the Met police required those taking part to hold a static demonstration rather than a march, on the South Bank of the Thames. On the opposite bank, a demonstration was held in opposition to the Iranian regime.