Incident of 'abhorrent antisemitic abuse' in Tottenham

A woman verbally harassed an Orthodox Jewish man in a video which has been circulating on Twitter today

A video circulating on social media today (24th May) captured an incident of “abhorrent antisemitic abuse” in Tottenham.

An Orthodox Jewish man was verbally harassed by a woman outside a cafe on Philip Lane, while he filmed the incident. The woman said to the apparent stranger “don’t want you in Tottenham. You’re not welcome – stay in Muswell Hill.”

After the man approached and asked her to “say it to the camera”, she continued: “I’m not anti-Jewish. I’m anti you Zionist coming in and thinking you can take over Tottenham like you did Muswell Hill.”

In a statement, leader of Haringey Council, Peray Ahmet, and cabinet member for community safety and cohesion, Adam Jogee, said: “We are incredibly shocked and angered to see the recent video of a Jewish resident being subjected to abhorrent antisemitic abuse on Philip Lane in Tottenham.

“There is no place for antisemitism in Haringey, not now and not ever. Zero tolerance must mean zero tolerance when it comes to hate and bigotry. Our diversity is our greatest strength, and our Jewish communities are an essential part of the vibrant tapestry of our borough.

“We have been intensely liaising with the police to ensure that this matter is dealt with swiftly. It’s vital that the perpetrator is brought to justice. We are also engaging with our Jewish communities to offer support, as well as provide information about channels for reporting hate incidents.

“We continue to work to ensure that Haringey is a place where all of our diverse communities can feel safe, included, and proud to call their home. Hatred like this simply will not be tolerated in our borough.”

A spokesperson for Metropolitan Police told HCP: “Officers are investigating a suspected anti-semitic ‘hate crime’ in Haringey. The incident appears to have happened at about 16:00hrs on Tuesday, 23 May outside a café in Phillip Lane, N15.

“Officers became aware of social media that showed a woman making anti-semitic remarks towards a man. As a result of enquiries, officers have been able to speak to this man and are now arranging to take a formal statement.

“Officers are also attending the location to secure evidence and carry out enquiries to trace the woman concerned. Specialist officers from Haringey, who are trained to investigate Hate Crimes, have been assigned to the inquiry.

“Any witnesses or anyone with any information is asked to call police on 101 or contact via Twitter @MetCC. Please quote CAD 7621/23MAY. To give information anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.

“The Met is clear that we will not tolerate any form of hate crime, including anti-semitism, and will do everything possible to bring offenders to justice.

“We continue to increase victim referrals to CATCH, a group of charities who give specialist help and advice to victims and witnesses of hate crime. The Community Security Trust (CST) form part of this alliance that protects British Jewish communities from anti-semitism and related threats.

“We are also working closely with Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) hate crime leads to explore all opportunities to increase our sanction detection rates around hate crime.

“Anyone in London who is a victim of a hate crime is asked to report it to the police via 101 or tweeting @MetCC. Information can also be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online, or via the TruVision website: https://www.report-it.org.uk/.”

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