Five people were arrested outside a Bob Wylan concert in London, including one on suspicion of assault following an argument.
The punk duo of Bobby Whelan (real name Pascal Robinson-Foster) and Bobby Whelan (real name Wade Lawrence George) performed at the O2 Kentish Town Forum on Tuesday night, ahead of protests from Stop The Hate and the Palestinian Coalition.
Bob Wylan made headlines in June after Robinson-Foster led chants of “death, death to the IDF (Israel Defense Forces)” during their live BBC performance at Glastonbury Festival, prompting Avon and Somerset Police to launch an investigation.
Bob Wylan makes headlines after performing at Glastonbury Festival (Lauren Del Fabbro/PA)
Officers said the arrests in London occurred during two protests ahead of the speech.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “One pro-Palestinian protester was arrested for chanting in reference to the IDF.
“One man from the Stop The Hate protest was arrested on suspicion of common assault following an altercation involving another protester.
“Three more people, two from the Stop Hate protest and one from the pro-Palestinian protest, were arrested on suspicion of breaching the terms of the Public Order Act.”
Police said officers continued to be in the area after the concert ended.
Ahead of the planned protest, officers told protesters their demonstrations must end by 9.30pm and said Stop Hate should remain in the “blue zone” on Fortress Walk, while the Palestinian Coalition and other groups should remain in the “orange zone” on Highgate Road.
It comes after the Metropolitan Police said it would take “no further action” over comments made at Bob Whelan's performance at London's Alexandra Palace in May in support of 78-year-old Lust For Life singer Iggy Pop, following an investigation.
In the video, Robinson-Foster appears to say: “Death to every IDF soldier as an agent of Israeli terror. Death to the IDF.”
On Monday, a man in his 30s, believed to be Robinson-Foster, was questioned by Avon and Somerset Police in connection with the punk duo's Glastonbury performance.
It comes after British Airways suspended its sponsorship of Louis Theroux's podcast in October following an interview with Robinson-Foster in which he said he had “no regrets” about the chant and would “do it again tomorrow”.
After performing at Glastonbury, the band were later dropped from a number of festivals and performances, including the Radar festival, a show at a German music venue and a US tour, after their visas were cancelled.
Bob Wylan also recently had to postpone two UK shows due to “political pressure”, including a performance in Manchester, following calls from Jewish leaders and MPs to cancel it.
Despite the criticism, the duo, complete with drummer Bobby Whelan (real name Wade Lawrence George), also received fan support and their album Humble As The Sun re-entered the charts in the summer.
