A man in his 50s was arrested on Thursday in London after allegedly threatening Jewish bus passengers and shouting antisemitic abuse at them, authorities said, as a separate incident targeting Jews in Manchester also ended in an arrest.
The London incident took place at about 3:45 p.m. on a Route 254 bus in the Hackney borough. Volunteers with Shomrim, a Jewish neighborhood watch group, said the suspect shouted at Jewish passengers, “It’s a shame Hitler didn’t kill you” and “You should all go to the gas chambers.” He also allegedly threatened to kill Jewish children and claimed he had a knife.
Man arrested after hurling antisemitic abuse at Jewish bus passengers in London
(Video: Shomrim London)
The bus driver stopped the vehicle and pressed a panic button. Shomrim volunteers who arrived at the scene detained the suspect until police arrived.
The Metropolitan Police said the man, in his 50s, was arrested on suspicion of threats to kill and public order offenses. Police said the case is being investigated as an antisemitic hate crime.
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Man arrested after hurling antisemitic abuse at Jewish bus passengers in London
(Photo: Shomrim London)
In Manchester, another man, in his 60s, was arrested after allegedly threatening Jews in the Heaton Park area of Salford, home to a large Haredi community. According to reports, the suspect made serious threats against Jewish residents and was arrested by local police on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offenses.
The two incidents come amid a recent rise in reports of antisemitic incidents in Britain. Police said they take such cases extremely seriously.