Prosecutors in the Netherlands have ruled that controversial statements made during a Bob Vylan show in Amsterdam in September did not constitute a criminal offence.
In a statement, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service says that - while the punk duo’s statements may have been “perceived as provocative and harsh” - they did not “constitute group defamation” or an “incitement to hatred or discrimination”, which would be required to make this a criminal matter.
Prosecutors also stress that the band’s remarks must be considered in the context of the show. Out of context statements like “death to the IDF” and “fuck the Zionists - get out there and fight them” might seem actionable, but prosecutors concluded that they were actually “calls for activism and political involvement” which “fit with the expressive and confrontational style of the punk genre”.
With the confirmation that Bob Vylan won’t have to fight any criminal charges in the Netherlands, the band’s lawyers can now focus on sending out legal letters to organisations that accuse the duo of antisemitism. Which they have reportedly done in Manchester after local campaigners forced a postponement of the band’s show that was due to take place there this week.
The Amsterdam gig back in September got a lot of media attention - partly because Bob Vylan have been in the headlines ever since their controversial BBC broadcast Glastonbury performance - but mainly because they commented on the murder of Charlie Kirk.
The gig took place just days after right wing activist Kirk was shot dead during a public debate at Utah Valley University. Bob Vylan frontman Bobby Vylan remarked on stage during his show, “if you talk shit, you will get banged - rest in peace Charlie Kirk you piece of shit”.
That was one of four statements investigated by the Dutch Public Prosecution Service after it received complaints from 35 individuals and organisations. Vylan also told his audience, “sometimes you have to represent kicking a nazi in the fucking face!”
The other two statements related to Vylan’s customary on-stage criticism of Israel and support for Palestine. That included the chant “death to the IDF” - referencing the Israel Defence Forces - which also caused a lot of the controversy during the duo’s Glastonbury set.
At the Amsterdam show, he also stated, “fuck the fascists, fuck the Zionists. Get out there and fight them. Get out there and meet them in the streets. Get out there and let them know that you do not fucking stand by them. Do you understand me?”
In their statement, Dutch prosecutors say that criticism of Zionism, ie support for a specifically Jewish state in Palestine, should be distinguished from statements targeting Jewish people.
To be guilty of crimes under Dutch anti-discrimination laws, they say, Vylan would need to have incited “hatred or violence against a group of people on the grounds of, among other things, their race or religion”.
But, when Vylan “speaks of Zionists it is not evident that those statements implicitly refer to Jewish people as a group. Zionism is a political movement and ideology; these characteristics as such are not protected by discrimination laws”.
Following the media backlash to Vylan’s comments in Amsterdam, another show in the Netherlands was cancelled. More recently, shows in Manchester and Leeds were pushed back into 2026 after pressure from various political critics of the group.
In Manchester, criticism was led by the Jewish Representative Council Of Greater Manchester, which said it was “deeply concerned” that the Manchester Academy was hosting a band which has “repeatedly engaged in rhetoric that crosses the line from legitimate political discourse into antisemitism and incitement”.
Other political figures expressed similar concerns, prompting the Manchester show - and another gig in Leeds - to be postponed until next year. At the time the group admitted on social media that, “due to political pressure” they “had to reschedule our Leeds and Manchester shows”
According to the Daily Mail, lawyers representing Bob Vylan have since sent a legal letter to the JRC claiming that the organisation’s allegations of antisemitism and incitement were defamatory.
