Bob Vylan singer Pascal Robinson-Foster to receive 'substantial damages' over false 'Nazi salute' claim

Bob Vylan singer Pascal Robinson-Foster will be paid "substantial damages" after the Manchester Evening News published a quote falsely accusing him of making a Nazi salute during a concert.

The pro-Palestine musician, who also performs under the psuedonym Bobby Vylan, had performed a 'sun salutation', where he raised one hand to the sky and another to his breast, in a show of appreciation to his audience.

The MEN quoted the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester as saying that "the band have mocked the murder of Charlie Kirk, performed Nazi salutes on stage and spoken about finding 'Zionists in the streets'".

Reach PLC, which owns the MEN, has now agreed to pay damages to the singer, removed the above quote, and issued a correction to the article.

"To have something rooted in mindfulness, peace, and connection distorted into a symbol of hate was both painful and outrageous," Robinson-Foster said. "The truth matters, and we're glad it's now been recognised."

The singer's solicitors explained that the gesture made by Robinson-Foster was "a guided light stretching and meditation routine" and "bears no resemblance in form, intention, or context to any fascist salute".

"This was an extremely serious and damaging allegation, falsely suggesting that an artist whose entire career is rooted in anti-racism and social justice was performing a Nazi salute. In fact, our client merely drew attention to the genocide in Gaza, at a time when many ignored the crimes of the IDF," Zillur Rahman of Rahman Lowe solicitors said.

"We are pleased that Reach plc has now accepted this was untrue, publicly corrected the record, apologised to our client, and paid substantial damages."

The comments came as Bob Vylan were due to perform in Manchester, in a concert now postponed, and caused uproar among some sections of the city's Jewish community.

Bob Vylan are strong supporters of the Palestinian cause, performing with the Palestinian flag during concerts and voicing support for the people of Gaza.

They attracted controversy for their performance at Glastonbury Festival during the summer when Robinson chanted "Death, death to the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces)", causing condemnation from leading UK politicians.

Robinson-Foster told British journalist Louis Theroux that despite the backlash, he would do it again, and said the pressure he had faced was nothing compared to what the people of Gaza have gone through.

 "Oh yeah. Like what if I was to go on Glastonbury again tomorrow, yes, I would do it again. I’m not regretful of it. I’d do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays," he said.

"I’m not regretful of it at all, like the subsequent backlash that I’ve faced. It’s minimal. It’s minimal compared to what people in Palestine are going through. If that can be my contribution and if I can have my Palestinian friends and people that I meet from Palestine, that have had to flee, that have lost members in double digits of their family and they can say, yo, your chant, I love it," Robinson-Foster added.

He added that the response from the crowd and BBC staff backstage to the chant was confused, and he perceived it as "unimportant" until there was uproar in the political establishment, including from Prime Minister Keir Starmer who described it as "appalling hate speech".

"What is important is the conditions that exist to allow that chant to even take place on that stage. And I mean, the conditions that exist in Palestine. Where the Palestinian people are being killed at an alarming rate. Who cares about the chant?" he said.

"'End, End the IDF' does not rhyme, wouldn’t have caught on, would it?" he told Theroux. "We are there to entertain. We are there to play music. I am a lyricist. 'Death, Death to IDF' rhymes. Perfect chant."