‘Shame on you!’ Furious bystanders heckle Met chief Mark Rowley at scene of double stabbing as they name on commissioner to ‘resign now’ after spate of anti-Semitic assaults

Furious bystanders heckled Sir Mark Rowley at the scene of today’s double stabbing in north London as they called for him to resign after a spate of antisemitic attacks. 

The Met chief said he could ‘never give an absolute assurance’ when asked directly if Jews were safe, but insisted his force was doing ‘everything we can do to protect people in difficult times’.

Responding to shouts of ‘resign’ and ‘shame on you’, Britain’s most senior policeman said he understood why Jewish Londoners feel ‘afraid and angry’ after the latest attack on their community. 

Two Jewish men, one in his 70s and another in his 30s, are in a stable condition in hospital after the attacks in Golders Green this morning. 

The 45-year-old suspect tried to stab police before he was Tasered and arrested. The incident has been declared an act of terrorism and counter-terror officers are ‘working to establish [the suspect’s] nationality and background’. 

The Golders Green attack follows a series of incidents of late targeting Jewish sites in the capital, including the firebombings of four ambulances and two synagogues. 

Sir Mark said: ‘It is completely understandable why Jewish Londoners feel afraid. That’s why we’re putting so much extra policing into these events. And we’re going to be looking at what more we can do in forthcoming weeks.

‘I’ve had so many thanks from Jewish communities over the last few weeks for all the extra policing that’s done, people recognise that officers are going above and beyond to protect them.’

Sir Mark warned of a rise in antisemitic violence being fuelled from abroad, adding: ‘Let me be clear, we’ve seen a rise in racist and antisemitic hate crime and whilst I can’t comment on my investigations, we know that some individuals are being encouraged, persuaded or paid to commit acts of violence on behalf of foreign organisations and hostile states.’ 

Today, a spokesman for King Charles – who is currently on a state visit to the United States – praised the bravery of the witnesses who intervened.

‘His Majesty is being kept fully informed and is naturally deeply concerned, in particular about the impact for the Jewish community,’ the spokesman said. ‘His thoughts and prayers are with the two individuals who were injured and offers his heartfelt gratitude to those who so selflessly rushed to their aid.’ 

Volunteers from Shomrim, which conducts civilian security patrols through Jewish communities, were on the scene ‘in a minute and a half’. 

Its coordinator, Ben Grossnass, said: ‘We got a phone call to the hotline at 11.20am this morning.  I saw a lot of shock in the street and the attacker was having CPR, I think he went into cardiac arrest after being tasered. It is fight or flight, I come out and deal with my emotions afterwards.

Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya (HAYI), an Islamist group believed to have ties to the Iranian regime, posted on Telegram to take credit for the attack. The same group has also claimed responsibility for other arson attacks in the area. 

 Video obtained by the Daily Mail shows the suspect rushing at a man waiting by a bus stop and frantically knifing him before two hero bystanders run to help.

Later, the suspect is seen in a stand-off with two police officers before one of them shoots him with a Taser before stamping on his head. A brave passer-by then jumps on the suspect and helps the officers restrain him.  

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she would ‘strain every sinew’ to keep Jewish people safe following the ‘horrifying’ incident. She said it was too early to say if the knifeman had links to Iran. 

The attack took place around 11.15am on Highfield Avenue – just minutes away from where four Jewish community ambulances were firebombed last month. Police are also investigating arson attacks on two synagogues and a memorial wall. 

Keir Starmer called the stabbings ‘deeply concerning’ and said his Government were ‘absolutely clear in our determination to deal with any of these offences, the like of which we have seen too much recently’. 

But Israel’s foreign ministry said Sir Keir’s statements are ‘no substitute for confronting the roots of antisemitism‘ and ‘the UK Government can no longer claim this is under control’. 

Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis said ‘words of condemnation are no longer sufficient’ and called for ‘meaningful action’ to tackle the ‘root causes of antisemitism’.

‘We had hoped, and further to the response to previous incidents, that something meaningful would be done,’ he said. 

‘Now there’s been yet another incident, and so we want to see, in addition to words and in addition to financial support to secure our community which we enormously appreciate, and the excellent work of our police forces, we want the root causes to be tackled and not just the symptoms.’

He said there has been ‘a sustained effort to terrorise the Jewish people’ and said while the community is ‘very strong’ and ‘resilient’, such incidents must end.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism said Shomrim volunteers stopped the suspect with a vehicle before police arrived to arrest him. 

One witness, who gave their name as Shlomoh, told the Daily Mail: ‘I arrived at the scene to see two police officers and a Shomrim member Tasering and hitting the suspect.’ 

The victim of the bus stop stabbing staggered into a pizza takeaway where he was helped by a member of staff. Tariq Aziz said: ‘He came to our shop and then I gave him a tissue and helped him, and then police came suddenly and arrested the guy.’ 

Yecottien Benouaich, 40, who lives in the local area, described the elderly victim as ‘my best friend’ and said he had been ‘stabbed for being Jewish’. 

Meanwhile, Eli V, 42, a friend of the younger victim who did not want to give his last name, called him a ‘terrific guy’ who lived locally. 

London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan called the attack ‘appalling’ and condemned the ‘series of shocking antisemitic attacks’ in London. Today’s chaos took place yards away from a large Jewish care home and the headquarters of a major Jewish charity.

The attack has prompted fresh claims that the Government is failing to tackle antisemitic violence. 

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said: ‘Jewish people in our country are under constant attack. This is no longer a growing pattern.

‘There is an epidemic of violence against Jewish people.

‘It is now a national emergency and needs to be treated as such by the Government and public authorities.’

Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, described the stabbing as ‘yet another appalling antisemitic attack’. 

‘The Jewish community are not being properly protected from this hate,’ he said. 

‘We have seen Iran sponsoring antisemitic attacks and Islamist extremism run rampant. The Government must urgently step up tangible actions against antisemitism, Iran and Islamist extremism.’

Sarah Sackman, the MP for Finchley and Golders Green, said she was meeting the home secretary ‘imminently’ to discuss the attack in her constituency.

‘I have been made aware of a serious stabbing in Golders Green. The suspect has been detained,’ she said in a statement.

She thanked Shomrim for its ‘vital work’ detaining the suspect.

‘The attacks on British Jews are an attack on Britain itself. It is unconscionable that Jews are being targeted in this way’, she added.

Andrew, a Jewish man who lives in Golders Green, rushed to the scene after hearing about the attack.

‘The man attacked an elderly gentleman by the bus stop five minutes after stabbing another Jewish man near the synagogue,’ he said.

‘It’s not a surprise something like this has happened. We are living with antisemitism and they are burning our ambulances and harassing us every day.

‘It’s a real shame Jewish people are having to live in fear in London and a lot of people are moving away. It has only become worse in the last few years and it’s not being helped by the Government.’

Specialist officers from Counter-Terrorism Policing are leading the investigation and working with the Met to establish the full circumstances and any links to terrorism.

Head of Counter-Terrorism Policing Laurence Taylor said: ‘Whilst I must stress this investigation is at an early stage, we are working quickly to understand exactly what happened.

‘Thank you to those who were in the area at the time and supported the response to this terrible incident.’

Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams, who leads policing in the area, said: ‘Our thoughts are with the victims of this horrific attack. We are grateful to officers who swiftly Tasered and arrested the suspect before he could cause further harm.

‘We are aware of the significant distress and concern this incident is likely to cause in the face of a number of incidents in the local area. A suspect is in custody, and investigators are considering all possible motives.

‘Officers will remain at the scene for some time to carry out further enquiries, speak to local people and offer reassurance.’

The attack happened approximately five minutes away from where four Jewish ambulances were firebombed last month. 

Police are also investigating an arson attack on a nearby memorial wall.

The memorial wall is a tribute to thousands of protesters killed in a crackdown in Iran in January and is near a Jewish centre.

A section of the wall is dedicated to those killed in the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival in Israel in 2023, while a more recent statement of solidarity for the Jewish community in the wake of recent attacks has been attached to a nearby tree.

Police were called to reports of a fire there at 7.28pm on Monday and the investigation is now being led by Counter Terror Policing, Scotland Yard has said.

The memorial wall itself was not damaged – although there are scorch marks at a desk – but it has been sealed off.

Today’s incident was raised in the Commons by Hornsey and Friern Barnet MP Catherine West.

She said: ‘The whole House will be very concerned to hear about the dreadful stabbings this morning in the borough of Barnet.’

The Labour MP said she was ‘very worried about this repeated violence against the Jewish community’.

She added: ‘We condemn these alleged attacks and we wish the police, the council and all the community services the very best in solving this and bringing to justice those perpetrators of these violent crimes.’

Karen Pollock, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: ‘We are devastated by the news of a stabbing attack in Golders Green in which two Jewish people have been injured.

‘Attack after attack after attack. Jewish life in this country is under threat not seen for generations. This is a deeply worrying time and cannot be allowed to continue.

‘We are grateful to the Met Police, the Community Security Trust, Shomrim and Hatzola for their swift and decisive response.

‘Our thoughts are with the victims and their families and we wish them a full and speedy recovery.’

Moishe, a 30-year-old property surveyor who was the victim of antisemitic abuse last week in Slough, said: ‘Again. And again. And again. All talk, no action. 

‘British Jews must come to terms with the reality that we’re not safe here. This hatred has been left unchecked for so long, it’s ingrained in our society, it’s everywhere and it’s too late.’

Yesterday counter-terror police revealed they had arrested a suspect close to an isolated Devon market town over a series of attacks on the Jewish community in London. 

A 37-year-old man was held by the Met Police on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts at an address close to Barnstaple on Sunday night.

He has been taken 210 miles to London for questioning. He has been bailed.

The suspect, who has not been named, is the 26th person to be arrested since the firebombing of Jewish community ambulances in Golders Green, two synagogues in north-west London and the former premises of a Jewish charity.

There were also jars containing a powdered substance left in Kensington Gardens close to the Israeli Embassy – as well as a drone incursion – and an attack on a Persian-language media organisation opposed to the Iranian regime in the capital in recent weeks.

Pro-Iranian group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia – the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right – has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

The Golders Green firebombing caused gas canisters stored in the ambulances to explode, with the force from the blast causing windows to break in a block of flats close by.

The synagogue, one of Europe’s oldest, had its roof damaged and stained glass windows smashed in the fire. There were no injuries. 

Counter-terror police have been looking into the possible involvement of Iranian proxies.

Premises linked to people opposing the Iranian regime have also been targeted, the Met said last week.

An attempted arson attack was also carried out on April 15 at Finchley Reform Synagogue, and at about 8.30pm outside the offices of a Persian media company, both in north-west London.

On Tuesday, a 17-year-old boy pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to arson not endangering life following the attack on Kenton United Synagogue.