A knife-wielding assailant was caught by members of Shomrim on Monday before being taken into custody in the heavily Jewish neighborhood of Golders Green in London.
Footage shared by The Jewish Chronicle showed several men detaining a person on the ground.
"Shortly before 13:40hrs, a 34-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon, criminal damage, and racially-aggravated affray," the Metropolitan Police stated on X. "He was taken into custody. There were no reports of any injuries."
The Community Security Trust (CST) group wrote that they were "aware of an incident involving a man with a knife shouting antisemitic abuse at a kosher shop in Golders Green, north London. Police were called and arrested the suspect. Nobody was harmed and the incident is now over. We thank @metpoliceuk for their swift response and urge the community to remain vigilant and alert."
CST is aware of an incident involving a man with a knife shouting antisemitic abuse at a kosher shop in Golders Green, north London. Police were called and arrested the suspect. Nobody was harmed and the incident is now over. We thank @metpoliceuk for their swift response and…
— CST (@CST_UK) January 29, 2024
Inspector Scott Barden-Marshall wrote on X, "I know this incident will cause concern in the community. Officers responded quickly and made an arrest within 10 minutes."A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Following the alleged antisemitic assault in which a knife was wielded at a kosher supermarket in London, we have spoken with staff at the supermarket and our partners at Shomrim NW London.“A suspect has been taken into custody after being subdued by the Met Police and Shomrim, and a knife has been recovered from the scene. Thanks to the swift police and Shomrim response, nobody was harmed.
Tensions have been high among UK Jewish communities since the Hamas attacks of October 7. These tensions have been, in part, fueled by an outpouring of support for the terror group on the UK's streets.
Antisemitism in the country is also on the rise as a result, and many Jews are reportedly considering leaving the UK.
Shomrim in London was a neighborhood watch group set up in 2008 to help keep Jewish communities safer.