Latest news with #OrthodoxJews
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Water pistol attackers who sprayed Jews let off with ‘slap on wrist'
Police have been urged not to turn a blind eye to anti-Semitism after two men who targeted Orthodox Jews with water pistols were let off with a 'slap on the wrist'. The pair, who filmed themselves driving around Greater Manchester spraying pedestrians dressed in Orthodox clothing with an unidentified liquid, were arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated assault last week. But Greater Manchester Police have now imposed community resolution orders – the most lenient option available – after the pair apologised for their actions. Community resolutions, which carry no criminal record, can only be issued for hate crimes in exceptional circumstances should the offender admit the offence, the victim not wish to press charges and an inspector sign off on disposing the case. But the leniency shown to the men, who sprayed adults and children before posting the footage to Instagram accompanied by the Jewish folk song Hava Nagila, has provoked outrage. 'Public humiliation for profit' Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, urged police to look at the case again and take 'the most robust action'. He said: 'Spraying members of the Jewish community with water pistols while jeering from the safety of a car is cowardice. It is public humiliation for profit, fuelling online hate, and encourages others to join in. 'This is happening against the backdrop of over 1,500 anti-Semitic incidents in just the first half of this year, one of the highest totals ever recorded. Jewish communities are being harassed, spat at, and attacked, and now filmed. This is not something Britain can turn a blind eye to. 'The police should look again at this case and take the most robust action where possible. We cannot allow a Britain where Jewish families feel unsafe on their own streets simply because of their faith.'
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Two men who sprayed Orthodox Jewish people with water pistol will not face court action
Two men who sprayed water at traditionally dressed Jews will not face court action. A video of the incident, in which a water pistol was sprayed at passers-by from a car and shared widely online, prompted an investigation by Greater Manchester Police. The footage, which was reposted extensively with traditional Jewish music in the background, shows two men laughing and joking while sat in a vehicle and targeting visibly Orthodox Jewish children. Never miss a story with the MEN's daily Catch Up newsletter - get it in your inbox by signing up here Two men, aged 26 and 36, were later arrested in Farnworth on suspicion of racially aggravated common assault. Officers also seized a vehicle which is believed to be the one seen in the footage, along with a water pistol suspected to have been used. It came after the CST, a Jewish security charity, described the videos circulating on social media as 'appalling' and 'antisemitic'. On Tuesday, (August 12), Greater Manchester Police (GMP) issued an update, and confirmed the pair had instead been given community resolution orders over the incident. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE Such orders, which can include an apology, are imposed after a victim agrees they do not want police to take formal action. A GMP spokesperson said the victims in this case were 'happy with the outcome'. --- Day in day out, our reporters in the Manchester Evening News newsroom bring you remarkable stories from all aspects of Mancunian life. However, with the pace of life these days, the frenetic news agenda and social media algorithms, you might not be getting a chance to read it. That's why every week our Features and Perspectives editor Rob Williams brings you Unmissable, highlighting the best of what we do - bringing it to you directly from us. Make sure you don't miss out, and see what else we have to offer, by clicking here and signing up for MEN Daily News. And be sure to join our politics writer Jo Timan every Sunday for his essential commentary on what matters most to you in Greater Manchester each week in our newsletter Due North. You can also sign up for that here. You can also get all your favourite content from the Manchester Evening News on WhatsApp. Click here to see everything we offer, including everything from breaking news to Coronation Street. If you prefer reading our stories on your phone, consider downloading the Manchester Evening News app here, and our news desk will make sure every time an essential story breaks, you'll be the first to hear about it. And finally, if there is a story you think our journalists should be looking into, we want to hear from you. Email us on newsdesk@ or give us a ring on 0161 211 2920.
BBC News
12-08-2025
- BBC News
Men who sprayed water at Orthodox Jews apologise
Two men who were arrested after filming themselves driving around a community spraying a water gun at Orthodox Jews have apologised and been handed community resolution footage, which appeared on YouTube and Instagram, showed the men laughing and smiling as they squirted water at traditionally-dressed pedestrians, including children, in Greater men, aged 26 and 36, were arrested in Bolton on Thursday on suspicion of racially aggravated common Manchester Police said the men had been "very apologetic", had deleted their YouTube channel, and that the victims would not be progressing the case any further. The force said a Rabbi who was himself sprayed had indicated that he wanted no further police action to be taken. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
07-08-2025
- 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
07-08-2025
- 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.
