Four men suspected of having launched anti-Semitic insults and threats from a car in London were arrested, the police announced on Sunday May 16, condemning the facts, which were filmed and shared on social networks.
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The video of the incident elicited many outraged reactions. Boris Johnson, Prime Minister, denounced "
a shameful racism
" which has "
no place
" in British society. Keir Starmer, leader of the Labor opposition, called the acts "
deeply repugnant
".
Images posted on social media show a convoy of cars covered in Palestinian flags passing Sunday afternoon, May 16, on Finchley Road, a neighborhood in north London, home to a Jewish community. An occupant of one of the vehicles utters name-calling and anti-Semitic threats using a megaphone. The incident occurred the day after a pro-Palestinian protest in London that brought together thousands of people, amid clashes between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
A vehicle was identified by police and four men were arrested on suspicion of public order offenses with the aggravating circumstance of racism, London police said on Sunday evening. “
This behavior was very shocking and will not be tolerated. I understand that this may have caused considerable concern within the community and we have organized additional patrols
"in the affected neighborhoods, said Superintendent Jo Edwards, in charge of police operations, in a statement.
On Monday, May 17, Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, confirmed on SkyNews that there will be a reinforced police presence near synagogues, schools and in neighborhoods where a large Jewish community lives, to reassure the population. Highlighting "
the impact of this criminal behavior which spreads fear among Jews in London and across the country,
" Sadiq Khan called "
not to bring back the conflicts that are occurring 3000 kilometers in the capital.
"