Man threatening Jews with knife arrested in north London
Police say 61-year old arrested after witnesses report white male brandishing meat cleaver threatening to kill Jews
An armed man alleged to have been threatening Jews with a meat cleaver and large knife in Stamford Hill has been arrested.
Initial reports of the Tuesday evening incident from volunteer security group Shomrim say the man tried to gain entry to a kosher shop on Upper Clapton Road but was thwarted when staff locked the door.
He was then reported to have entered another Jewish shop, asking for the owner, saying: “Where is the boss? I will kill him.” Upon leaving, he is reported to have shouted at two Jewish girls aged eight and 14 years, saying: “You Jews run away from here before I kill you.”
Shomrim volunteers said they followed the man to a block of flats on Rossington Street where armed police arrested him on suspicion of affray and possession of an offensive weapon.
CCTV images of the white man wearing a white hooded top have since appeared on social media. Police confirmed that they had arrested a 61-year old man.
Shomrim supervisor Chaim Hochauser said his organisation “responded to reports of a male making threats and brandishing a meat cleaver and a large knife in Hackney… We contained the area where the suspect had fled, and liaised with local and armed Police who cordoned off the area… The suspect was subsequently arrested”.
A spokesman for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Violent anti-Semitic crime continues to rise at an alarming rate and will continue to do so until anti-Semitic incitement is taken seriously by the authorities before it translates into violence. It is inexcusable that in Britain in 2017.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
