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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Josh Salisbury

Knife-wielding man arrested outside kosher supermarket in Golders Green after 'making antisemitic threats'

A knife-wielding man was filmed shouting “antisemitic abuse” outside kosher supermarket in Golders Green on Monday afternoon before being wrestled to the floor.

Footage showed a man carrying a large knife appearing to threaten staff before being wrestled to the ground by members of the public and officers.

The Met Police said in a statement that there were no reported injuries after the incident at Kay’s Kosher supermarket in Hamilton Road shortly before 1.30pm. 

Officers are not treating the incident as terror-related, with a Scotland Yard spokesperson saying a 34-year-old man has been arrested in connection.

A knife was recovered at the scene.

Met Inspector Scott Barden-Marshall, from the local policing team in north-west London, said: "I know this incident will cause concern in the community. 

“Officers responded quickly and made an arrest within 10 minutes. An investigation is now under way."

The Community Security Trust, an organisation which protects the Jewish community from antisemitism and related threats, said it was “aware of an incident involving a man with a knife shouting antisemitic abuse at a kosher shop.”

“Police were called and arrested the suspect. Nobody was harmed and the incident is now over,” said a spokesperson on social media. 

“We thank @metpoliceuk for their swift response and urge the community to remain vigilant and alert.”

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "We were called at 13:27hrs on Monday, 29 January to reports of a man with a knife in Hamilton Road, NW11.

"Officers responded and carried out a search of the area.

"Shortly before 13:40hrs a 34-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon, criminal damage and racially-aggravated affray. He was taken into custody. 

"There were no reports of any injuries. A knife was recovered at the scene."

Anti-Jewish hate has surged in the capital in the wake of the ongoing conflict in Gaza. 

Figures show antisemitic hate crimes recorded by the Metropolitan Police in the wake of Hamas’s October attack on Israel were more than 13 times the number for the same period in 2022.

A total of 679 antisemitic offences were recorded by the Met Police from October 7 to November 7 2023 inclusive, compared with 50 in the equivalent period the previous year and 81 in 2021.

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