Keir Starmer was met with boos and jeers as he visited the headquarters of the Jewish-led Hatzola ambulance service in Golders Green, north London, a day after two Jewish men were stabbed in the area. Around 200 protesters had gathered outside, many holding posters reading “Keir Starmer Jew harmer”, distributed by a direct action group called Stop the Hate.
The prime minister’s convoy was greeted with chants and insults as it passed through the security gates. One protester, Moshe, a 20-year-old shop worker, said he felt betrayed by Mr Starmer. He also criticised the prime minister for not visiting the scene of the attack, which was a 15-minute walk away, instead holding a closed meeting at the Hatzola building. Downing Street declined to comment on the reasons for the limited visit.
Inside, Mr Starmer thanked volunteers from Hatzola and Shomrim, a community security group whose member had helped police tackle the assailant on Wednesday. The stabbings have been declared a terrorist incident by the Metropolitan Police, prompting demands for action rather than reassuring words.
Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, also visited the area on Thursday, ahead of the prime minister. He spoke to supporters and gave interviews, including one in a kosher cafe. He said he would proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, ban the Muslim Brotherhood, and suggested central funding for Shomrim, which was met with approval from the crowd.
Mr Farage also claimed he had heard that Iranian operatives had been among those arriving on small boats across the Channel in recent weeks, citing a source within the Iranian-Persian diaspora. He brushed off questions about allegations of his own schoolboy antisemitism, calling them “nonsense”.
