Latest news with #CommunitySecurityTrust
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Influencers arrested after ‘targeting Orthodox Jews in water pistol attacks'
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have arrested two men who allegedly filmed themselves spraying Orthodox Jews with a water pistol from a moving car. The men, aged 26 and 36, are being held on suspicion of racially aggravated common assault. A vehicle, which the police believe to have been the one used in the footage, alongside the water pistol, has also been seized. Ch Insp Simon Ashcroft said: 'We are treating this incident with the utmost seriousness and have acted swiftly to make arrests. GMP has a zero-tolerance approach to hate crime, and we are committed to ensuring our communities feel safe and supported. 'We continue to work closely with our partners to provide reassurance and encourage anyone affected to come forward. We are also aware from other footage that there may be further victims, and we urge anyone who believes they have been targeted to contact GMP or the Community Security Trust (CST).' A video widely shared on social media appeared to show two men driving around in a car as they sprayed adults and children dressed in orthodox clothing with an unidentified liquid. Footage was posted on Instagram and accompanied by the Jewish folk song Hava Nagila. The video attracted scores of anti-Semitic comments, with one comparing the liquid to 'antiseptic' and asking: 'What about a gas prank?' 'Not a prank but anti-Semitic abuse' At the time of the attack, a spokesman for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said: 'These men are behaving like playground bullies. 'Targeting Jewish people for harassment is not a prank but anti-Semitic abuse, and doing so from the comfort of your car is particularly cowardly. 'We are also aware that this is not the first time that one of these men has targeted Jews for videos on social media. 'Our legal team is examining the footage and assessing options. Those responsible must be identified and held to account.' The CST, a UK charity working to protect Jews from anti-Semitism, also described it as an 'appalling anti-Semitic video'. A spokesman for CST added: 'It's completely disgraceful that Jewish people have to put up with this kind of targeted abuse.'
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Pair arrested after water sprayed at Orthodox Jews
Pair arrested after water sprayed at Orthodox Jews Image caption, The footage, shared widely on social media, showed traditionally-dressed Jews being targeted Author, Tom Mullen Role, BBC News, Manchester 1 hour ago Two men have been arrested after a video was shared online of men driving around a community filming themselves spraying a water gun at Orthodox Jews. The footage, which was later deleted from YouTube and Instagram, showed the men laughing and smiling as they squirted water at traditionally-dressed pedestrians, including children, in Greater Manchester. It was soundtracked with Hava Nagila, a folk song traditionally sung at Jewish celebrations. The arrested men, aged 26 and 36, were being questioned on suspicion of racially aggravated common assault, Greater Manchester Police said. Officers also seized a vehicle believed to be the one seen in the footage along with a water pistol, the force added. Ch Insp Simon Ashcroft said: "We are treating this incident with the utmost seriousness and have acted swiftly to make arrests. "Greater Manchester Police has a zero-tolerance approach to hate crime in any form, and we are committed to ensuring our communities feel safe and supported. "We continue to work closely with our partners to provide reassurance and encourage anyone affected to come forward." The video has been widely condemned, with the Community Security Trust, a charity that promotes the safety and protection of Jewish people, describing it as "an appalling antisemitic video". Get in touch Tell us which stories we should cover in Greater Manchester Contact form
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Men 'who filmed themselves targeting Orthodox Jews with water pistols' are arrested on suspicion of racist hate crime
Two suspected pranksters have been arrested after appearing to spray Orthodox Jews with water pistols in a cruel targeted prank. The men, aged 26 and 36, were taken into custody for questioning on suspicion of racially aggravated common assault on Thursday. Police officers made the arrests in response to a video, which was widely shared online, of two men driving around Salford and spraying members of the Jewish community with water guns. In the short social media clip, the pair, who have been branded 'playground bullies', can be heard cruelly laughing as they soak innocent passersby on the street. In another clip, one of the so-called 'pranksters' held his phone near a Jewish man before playing an Apple Pay sound effect and saying: 'You are very rich, I just got £60 from you.' Greater Manchester Police have also seized the vehicle believed to be the one seen in the footage, along with the water pistol suspected to have been used during the so-called 'prank'. The force insisted it had a 'zero-tolerance approach to hate crime in any form' and said it is treating this incident with the 'utmost seriousness'. Chief Inspector Simon Ashcroft, of GMP's Salford district, added: 'We are also aware from other footage that there may be further victims, and we urge anyone who believes they have been targeted to contact GMP or the Community Security Trust.' The video was eventually removed from Instagram and Tiktok and the account has since uploaded another video, where they are not targeting orthodox views with the water pistol. Before they were deleted, the clips reached nearly a million likes on Instagram and included anti-semitic comments including rat, pig and nose emojis. The posts were later edited to include a disclaimer, The Telegraph reported, which read: 'This video was made purely for humorous purposes. It is just a joke and not hate speech in any way. Please do not take it the wrong way.' But the clips have since sparked fury from anti-semitism campaigners, who demanded action be taken against the pair. A spokesperson for the Campaign Against Anti-semitism said: 'These men – who appear to be driving around and targeting Jews with a water gun – are behaving like playground bullies. 'Harassing Jewish people is not a prank but anti-semitic abuse, and doing so from the comfort of your car is particularly cowardly. 'We are also aware that this is not the first time that one of these men has targeted Jews for videos on social media. 'Our legal team is examining the footage and assessing options. Those responsible must be identified and held to account.' The video was shared to the TikTok account konsp1ra who has also posted videos at a boxing club and asking people if they want to fight the police. In 2024, religious hate crime rose by 25 per cent. With crimes targeted at Jewish people more than doubling from the previous year. In London, the number of anti-semitic hate crimes reported to Met Police corresponded to nearly one per every 1,000 Jews of the 270,000 that live in London, making it eight times higher than the rate per 1,000 Muslims living in London. Figures from the Community Security Trust's (CST) Anti-semitic Incidents Report from January to June this year state that 1,978 instances of anti-Jewish hate were recorded across the UK in the first six months of this year, up 105 per cent on the same period last year. Just over half were linked to, or referenced, the Hamas atrocities of October 7 last year, Israel, the Palestinian territories or the subsequent war, the charity said. The total included one incident of 'extreme violence' - an alleged arson attack on a residential property - during the period, the report said. Cases of assault jumped 41 per cent period-on-period from 86 to 121.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Police investigate after video of men spraying water pistol at Orthodox Jews
Police have launched an investigation after a video of two men firing a water pistol at members of the Jewish community was circulated on social media. In a now deleted video, two men were seen laughing as they sprayed traditionally-dressed Orthodox Jewish adults and children with water on the streets of Manchester. Greater Manchester Police said a crime had been reported after the video was shared online. "A crime has been recorded, with multiple lines of enquiry being actively investigated," the force said. "We are working closely with partners to provide reassurance to the communities impacted, and we encourage anyone who has been targeted to contact us on 999 in an emergency, 101, or by reporting on our website.' The video was shared on Instagram and YouTube before it was taken down. Community Security Trust, a charity which monitors antisemitism across the UK, described it as "an appalling antisemitic video". The Independent has contacted the account that uploaded the video. One of the men told The Jewish Chronicle they 'sincerely apologise' if anyone felt offended and said: "I honestly don't understand the hate we're getting right now. It was just a simple water gun prank using a small toy — nothing more. "I have two other 'Water Gun Prank' videos filmed with British people, and everyone was smiling, laughing, and the vibe was great. 'I don't understand how this suddenly became labeled as hate speech. It's not hate speech in any way — it's just a normal human joke, nothing offensive or targeted. "We do not accept being called hateful or being accused of spreading hate speech. That's simply not true. We respect all people regardless of their race.'
Wales Online
4 hours ago
- Wales Online
Antisemitism reports spiked day after Bob Vylan Glastonbury chants according to charity
Antisemitism reports spiked day after Bob Vylan Glastonbury chants according to charity Sentiment towards Israel is influencing and driving contemporary anti-Jewish discourse, the Community Security Trust (CST) said. (Image: PA Wire/PA Images) Reports of antisemitic incidents in the UK spiked a day after punk duo Bob Vylan's controversial performance at Glastonbury, according to a charity which described how communities are facing "extreme levels of Jew-hatred". Sentiment towards Israel is influencing and driving contemporary anti-Jewish discourse, the Community Security Trust (CST) said. The organisation, which monitors antisemitism in the UK, said there were a total of 1,521 antisemitic incidents across the UK in the first half of this year. This is the second-highest total ever reported to the organisation in the first six months of any year but is down by a quarter from the record high of 2,019 incidents recorded between January and June last year. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said antisemitic incidents and crimes "remain shamefully and persistently high". There were at least 200 incidents every month in the first half of 2025, with the highest daily total at 26 incidents reported on June 29. This was a day after a performance by punk duo Bob Vylan at the world-renowned Glastonbury music festival in Somerset. During the set, which was livestreamed on BBC, rapper Bobby Vylan chanted "Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)". The CST said the incidents reported to the charity involved anti-Jewish responses to events at Glastonbury as well as to the CST's subsequent statement on X which had branded the chants "utterly chilling". Avon and Somerset Police said last month that inquiries were continuing in relation to the comments made onstage during Bob Vylan's performance. The second-worst day for what the CST described as "anti-Jewish hate" was May 17 when 19 incidents were recorded – coming a day after Israel announced an expansion of its military operation in Gaza. The CST said: "Both of these cases illustrate how sentiment and rhetoric towards Israel and Zionism influence, shape and drive contemporary anti-Jewish discourse, online and offline, often around totemic events that grab mainstream public attention." Just over half (51%) of all incidents in the first half of this year "referenced or were linked to Israel, Palestine, the Hamas terror attack (of October 7, 2023) or the subsequent outbreak of conflict", the CST said. This was a similar proportion to the same period last year, and up from 16% in the first six months of 2023, reflecting a rise in "anti-Jewish hate in the UK when Israel is at war", the CST said. Mark Gardner, the organisation's chief executive, said the statistics demonstrated "extreme levels of Jew-hatred, committed in the name of anti-Israel activism". June saw the highest number of incidents, with 326 being recorded following heightening tensions in Gaza. A total of 76 violent anti-Jewish assaults were recorded by the charity in the first six months of 2025, including three categorised as "extreme violence" that resulted in either grievous bodily harm or a threat to life. The CST added that 84 cases of damage and desecration of Jewish property were recorded, as well as 21 incidents of mass-produced antisemitic literature and 1,236 incidents of verbal or written abuse. The trust said 572 online incidents were reported to them in the first half of the year, accounting for 38% of the total and down 12% from the same period last year. Giving examples of the range of incidents reported, Mr Gardner, said: "It involves racial hatred, yelled at Jewish schoolchildren, scrawled on synagogue walls and thrown at anyone who is Jewish, or suspected of being Jewish. "In such difficult times, CST is proud to give strength to British Jews when they most need it. "We thank those politicians and police officers who have supported our community, especially when Jew-hatred is effectively sanctioned in so many spaces that falsely claim to oppose all forms of racism." There were 774 antisemitic incidents recorded by the CST in Greater London, a drop of 26% over the same timeframe in 2024, and 194 cases in Greater Manchester, a decrease of 28% compared to the previous year. Outside these cities, the police areas with the highest number of reports were West Yorkshire with 73, Hertfordshire with 52, Scotland with 36, Sussex with 32 and West Midlands with 39. Northern Ireland had nine reports while Suffolk was the only mainland police region not to record a single incident, the trust said. Ms Cooper said antisemitism "has a profoundly damaging impact both on the individuals affected and the wider Jewish community", and vowed the Government "remains steadfast in its commitment to root out the poison of antisemitism wherever it is found". The Government's independent adviser on antisemitism, Lord Mann, said the latest data shows "that antisemitism continues to impact the British Jewish community at an unprecedented level". Article continues below He added: "Antisemitism must be recognised by everyone as anti-Jewish racism and there must be a no tolerance approach to it across civil society at all levels."
