British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan said on Friday they had successfully overturned a German entry ban they described as an attempt to silence pro-Palestine activism.
Frontman Pascal Robinson-Foster was detained at Berlin airport on 15 June, denied entry and deported to the UK.
Before the band could challenge the decision in court, German police withdrew the travel ban, acknowledging there was no legal basis for refusing entry, allowing the band to travel freely to Germany.
In a statement on Instagram, Bob Vylan called the move ‘another attempt to silence and intimidate those that oppose the ongoing genocide in Palestine’, saying the outcome showed the importance of challenging efforts to suppress dissent.
The band said authorities gave no explanation for either the deportation or the reversal.
A police file obtained by The Intercept alleged Robinson-Foster spread antisemitic narratives and ‘Hamas propaganda’ that threatened Germany's public security and could damage the country's reputation by appearing to tolerate antisemitism and calls to violence.
Robinson-Foster came under international scrutiny after leading chants of ‘Death, death to the IDF’ during Bob Vylan's Glastonbury 2025 performance. Although investigated, he was not charged.
The Germany incident marked the first time the band had been denied entry to a country. Following Glastonbury, the US revoked Bob Vylan's visas, their German tour was cancelled, and the band said they have since faced repeated questioning at European borders.
