UK PUNK-RAP DUO Bob Vylan have initiated defamation proceedings against RTÉ for the broadcaster’s reporting of the duo’s controversial performance at Glastonbury Festival during the summer.

The duo’s frontman Bobby Vylan, real name Pascal Robinson-Foster, led chants of ‘Death, death, to the IDF’ in reference to the Israeli Defence Forces during their set.

The BBC’s handling of Bob Vylan’s festival set, which was streamed on iPlayer, sparked strong criticism after the event in June and a criminal investigation was launched by police.

BBC chairman Samir Shah said the decision not to pull the live feed after they made the on-stage comments was “unquestionably an error of judgement”.

The broadcaster said it will now no longer broadcast what it deems to be “high-risk performances” at the festival.

 The criminal investigation was ultimately dropped.

The band’s performance attracted worldwide attention and was reported on by RTÉ.

A news package on RTÉ News covering the controversy reported that the lead singer had “led anti-semitic chants from the stage”.

Bob Vylan have been outspoken critics of Israel and the genocide in Gaza. Bobby Vylan said he would repeat the offending chant “again tomorrow and twice on Sunday”.

Robinson-Foster and his bandmate Bobbie Vylan, real name Wade Laurence George, have now begun defamation proceedings relating to the reporting of their performance.

Belfast law firm Phoenix Law, which also represented Kneecap’s Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh when he was fighting a terror charge, filed two plenary summonses against RTÉ on Monday.    

“These allegations are categorically denied by our clients and are entirely untrue,” a spokesperson for Phoenix Law said, referring to RTÉ’s coverage.

“At their Glastonbury performance, Bob Vylan made statements expressing support for Palestinian self-determination and criticising military actions by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).”

Phoenix Law stated that despite requests for a retraction and apology, RTÉ “has failed to address the harm caused”.

Darragh Mackin, solicitor at Phoenix Law, said that Bob Vylan are “no stranger to utilising their freedom of expression to speak out against the genocide in Gaza”.  

“There is however a fundamental distinction between speaking critically about the role of the Israeli state forces, and being antisemitic,” Mackin said.

“The former is speech within the confines of political expression, whereas the latter is a form of hatred directed towards 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,” Mackin added.

A spokesperson for RTÉ told The Journal it does not comment on legal matters.