LAST UPDATE | 3 Jul

BOTH MEMBERS OF British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan have launched separate legal proceedings against the BBC in the High Court in Ireland.

Frontman Pascal Robinson-Foster, who performs as Bobby Vylan, and bandmate Laurence George Wade, who performs as Bobbie Vylan, separately filed proceedings on Tuesday.

Both are being represented by Belfast solicitor Darragh Mackin of Phoenix Law. 

Mackin previously represented Belfast rap trio Kneecap in their successful judicial review against the UK government over a blocked arts grant, and also acted for Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh in relation to a terrorism charge that was later dropped.

Bob Vylan’s legal action follows the band’s controversial performance at Glastonbury Festival last summer, during which Robinson-Foster led chants of “death, death to the IDF” in reference to the Israeli Defence Forces.

The performance was livestreamed by the BBC before the broadcaster later said should have cut the broadcast.

At the time, the broadcaster described the chants as “antisemitic sentiments” that were “utterly unacceptable” and said it would review its guidance around live event broadcasts.

In a statement issued this afternoon, Bob Vylan claimed that, following the group’s performance at Glastonbury, the BBC “wasted no time in placing labels upon us that did not, do not and never will fit”.

“As a corporation that receives the majority of its funding from the public, it has disappointingly continued to prove how little it represents the interests of the people and our access to unbiased news and information,” the group said.

The duo also claimed that the BBC “have attempted to silence those that oppose the heinous crimes taking place in Palestine” by “labelling them as antisemitic, editing their speeches, removing their content and even blocking the release of documentaries”. 

“So seeing the opportunity to remind them the power of the people that they are attempting to silence, we had no choice but to take on this fight,” the group added.

“In fact, we take great pleasure in serving them that reminder in court.”

The latest proceedings come after the duo also initiated defamation proceedings against RTÉ in the Irish High Court late last year.

That case centres on an RTÉ News report which stated that Robinson-Foster had led “anti-Semitic chants” during the Glastonbury performance.

Speaking on the legal proceedings against RTÉ in December, Phoenix Law said the band “categorically” denies that characterisation, arguing there is “a fundamental distinction between speaking critically about the role of the Israeli state forces, and being antisemitic”.

Bob Vylan also performed at the All Together Now festival in Waterford last August, and were invited to visit Leinster House by Sinn Féin in November.

Phoenix Law has been contacted for comment.