Man arrested after Golders Green supermarket 'hate crime' leaves Jewish community 'shaken'

Police were called to the area in north London which is home to a large Jewish population
The incident happened on Hamilton Road in Golders Green
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Robert Dex @RobDexES30 January 2024
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A man has been remanded in custody after what police called "a hate crime incident" outside a kosher supermarket in Golders Green, leaving the Jewish community "shaken".

Gabriel Abdullah, 34, of Hamilton Road, Golders Green, was charged on Tuesday with affray and possession of bladed article in public place.

He appeared in custody at Willesden Green Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, Metropolitan Police said.

He was remanded in custody and will next appear at Harrow Crown Court, sitting at Willesden Magistrates’ Court, on February 27. Police officers were called to reports of a man wielding a knife at Kay’s kosher supermarket on Hamilton Road around 1.27pm on Monday.

There were no reported injuries. A knife was recovered at the scene.

Footage of the incident shows a "brave" member of the public who intervened before police arrived.

Chief Superintendent Sara Leach, responsible for policing in north-west London, said: "Yesterday's incident in Golders Green has understandably caused significant concern and left our Jewish communities shaken. I want to be clear, this matter is being treated as a hate crime and we are dedicating significant resources to the investigation.

"Our officers responded quickly and were on the scene within six minutes and able to arrest the suspect within ten minutes of being called. I want to pay tribute to the members of the public who bravely intervened before police arrived.

"This is being investigated as a hate crime by specialist detectives from our Community Safety Unit. I want to offer my reassurance that officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command have carried out a full assessment of the incident and remain in contact with local officers as the investigation continues.

"While this is not a terror investigation, that in no way detracts from how seriously we are taking this incident.

"Myself and my senior team spoke with community leaders and other partners over the course of yesterday afternoon to update them on the investigation and keep them informed.

"This will continue into today and the days ahead. We have been carrying out additional patrols in Golders Green over recent months and these will now increase in light of this incident.”

Anti-Jewish hate has surged in the capital in the wake of the ongoing conflict in Gaza. 

Figures show antisemitic hate crimes recorded by the Metropolitan Police in the wake of Hamas’s October attack on Israel were more than 13 times the number for the same period in 2022.

A total of 679 antisemitic offences were recorded by the Met Police from October 7 to November 7 2023 inclusive, compared with 50 in the equivalent period the previous year and 81 in 2021.

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