Bob Vylan Sues Irish Broadcaster RTE for Defamation Over Coverage of ‘Death to the IDF’ Chant at Glastonbury

The British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan filed defamation proceedings against Ireland’s national broadcaster on Tuesday over its coverage of their performance at the Glastonbury Festival in June, during which they led the audience in chanting “death, death to the IDF” in reference to the Israel Defense Forces.

The band is accusing RTE of defaming the group by claiming in a broadcast that the musicians led an antisemitic chant at the festival in Somerset, England, according to Phoenix Law Solicitors, the firm representing Bob Vylan. Allegations about the chant being antisemitic were “categorically denied” by the band and “entirely untrue,” the law firm said in a statement. It lodged legal proceedings at the high court in Dublin on behalf of the band, which is comprised of lead singer Pascal Robinson-Foster and drummer Wade Laurence George.

During their set at Glastonbury on June 28, Robinson-Foster, known by his stage name Bobby Vylan, led the audience in repeatedly chanting “death, death to the IDF.” The chant received widespread backlash, and British police launched an investigation into the band’s actions. Robinson-Foster has claimed several times that the chant was not antisemitic and said during a podcast interview in October that he does not regret making the anti-IDF remark.

Phoenix Law Solicitors claimed Bob Vylan “made statements expressing support for Palestinian self-determination and criticizing military actions” by the IDF. “At no point did their comments target Jewish people or express hatred towards any group,” the law first said in its statement. “The comments made were politically charged but not antisemitic in nature.”

Despite requests for a retraction and apology, RTE has “failed to address the harm caused” and so proceedings had been issued “to seek redress for the significant reputational and emotional damage” to Bob Vylan, said the firm. The band’s lawyers also claim RTE’s broadcast was widely circulated, “aggravating the impact on Bob Vylan’s reputation and professional standing.”

“Our clients are no stranger to utilizing their freedom of expression to speak out against the genocide in Gaza,” said Darragh Mackin, one of the firm’s solicitors. “There is however a fundamental distinction between speaking critically about the role of the Israeli state forces and being antisemitic. The former is speech within the confines of political expression, whereas the latter is a form of hatred directed toward Jewish people. At no stage have our clients ever engaged in conduct that is remotely antisemitic and to that end, have had no option but to seek the formal correction of same via the remedies available within this litigation.”

Bob Vylan’s “death to the IDF” chant was aired live by the BBC during its broadcast of the Glastonbury Festival. The BBC later apologized for airing “such offensive and deplorable behavior,” and its chairman, Samir Shah, separately apologized for allowing the band “to express unconscionable antisemitic views live on the BBC.”

Following Bob Vylan’s “death to the IDF” chant, the band was dropped from several music festivals, had their US visas revoked, and were let go by the talent agency UTA, which said the “antisemitic sentiments expressed by the group were utterly unacceptable.” The band’s anti-IDF comment was condemned by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who called it “appalling hate speech,” as well as Jewish groups, the Israeli Embassy in London, and even Glastonbury organizers.