British police have arrested six individuals following a violent attack on a synagogue in Manchester, England, on Friday. Teh incident, which targeted the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue, is being investigated as a hate crime, prompting heightened security measures at Jewish institutions across the United Kingdom.The attack comes amid rising concerns over antisemitism in the U.K., fueled by the ongoing conflict in Gaza and recent political developments. Some observers believe the U.K.’s recent recognition of a Palestinian state may have contributed to the increase in antisemitic incidents-a claim the government disputes.The arrests signal a swift response from law enforcement, but anxieties remain within the Jewish community and raise questions about the broader climate of safety and tolerance.
Police responded to reports of damage to the synagogue and engaged in a pursuit that led to the arrests. Details regarding the nature of the attack and the identities of those detained have not been fully released, but authorities have confirmed they are treating the incident with the utmost seriousness.
A vigil held for the victims in Manchester was disrupted Friday by boos and shouts directed at Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy. Together, London police urged organizers to cancel a planned protest opposing the government’s designation of Palestine Action as a terrorist institution.Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged protest organizers to postpone the demonstration out of respect for the grieving Jewish community.Despite the call for cancellation, Defend Our Juries, the group organizing the protest, stated it would proceed, anticipating hundreds of participants willing to risk arrest to demonstrate support for the banned group. Jonathon Porritt, a member of the organization, told the BBC, “But I don’t think that means that we should be asked to give up on our right to stand up for those who are being devastated by an ongoing, real-time genocide in Gaza.”
