Metropolitan Police Confirm Hendon Arson as Antisemitic Hate Crime
Police have officially declared the latest arson attack in north-west London an antisemitic hate crime, urging members of the Jewish community to remain calm as counter-terror officers lead the investigation. This incident is part of a concerning string of similar attacks that have targeted Jewish-linked properties in the area over recent weeks.
Details of the Hendon Attack
According to the Metropolitan Police, a man was spotted approaching a row of shops in Hendon, Barnet, on Friday evening carrying a plastic bag. The bag was later found to contain three bottles of fluid. The individual placed the bag beside a building before setting its contents alight. Fortunately, the items failed to fully ignite, causing only minor damage to the shopfront and resulting in no injuries. The suspect fled the scene immediately, and no arrests have been made at this time.
Officers were called to the scene at 10:31 PM on Friday, with fire crews also responding to the incident. A police cordon remained in place around the building, which is believed to have been previously used by the Jewish community, throughout Saturday afternoon. The area saw a significant police presence, including armed response vehicles, counter-terrorism resources, and police motorbikes.
Increased Police Presence and Community Response
In response to the attack, the Met has announced a significantly increased number of uniformed and plain-clothed officers will be visible across Barnet throughout the weekend. Additional stop and search powers have been granted to police in the borough to enhance security measures.
Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams, who heads policing in the area, stated: "We continue to work with our colleagues from Counter Terrorism Policing who are leading the investigations into all of these incidents due to the similar circumstances and online claims of responsibility." He added that police recognise the concern among local residents and do not underestimate the impact on Jewish communities.
A 26-year-old local resident expressed his worries to the Press Association, saying: "It's getting too close to home now. It's worrying that this sort of thing is happening at the moment." The Met and Counter Terrorism Policing are in ongoing dialogue with Jewish community leaders, with officers working to provide reassurance to Jewish places of worship and businesses.
Context of Recent Attacks
This incident follows a series of similar attacks in north-west London. On March 23, four Jewish community ambulances were set alight in Golders Green. More recently, on Wednesday evening, an ignited container was thrown into a Persian media organisation's premises in Wembley in an attempted arson attack. Police have confirmed there have been online claims of responsibility for these incidents.
Commander Helen Flanagan of Counter Terrorism Policing London noted: "At this stage last night's arson is not being linked to other incidents in the north-west London area over the last week or last month's arson in Golders Green, but counter-terrorism officers are leading due to the similarities of each attack." She emphasised that officers will be relentless in pursuing those responsible for these hateful acts.
Community Organisations React
The Community Security Trust (CST), a British charity dedicated to protecting the Jewish community, issued a statement acknowledging "what appears to be another attempted arson, this time targeting a premises in north London previously used by the Jewish community." The CST is collaborating with police in their investigation and urged people to remain calm while reporting any suspicious activity immediately to police on 999 and then to CST.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism commented: "This is yet another arson attack which appears to be targeting the Jewish community – it is the third in a month as we witness a worldwide pattern of attacks." They expressed concern about potential coordination behind these incidents and criticised the government's stance on proscribing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Despite the serious nature of these attacks, police have clarified that the Hendon incident is not currently being treated as an act of terrorism. However, the investigation continues with counter-terrorism officers at the helm due to the patterns observed across multiple incidents.
