Four arrests over video ‘showing antisemitic abuse shouted from cars in London’

Four men have been arrested by officers investigating a video that appeared to show antisemitic abuse being shouted from a car in north London.

Politicians had earlier condemned the footage, which was posted on Twitter and showed the cars travelling through the St John’s Wood area on Sunday afternoon. The cars were covered in Palestinian flags with a speaker blasting out antisemitic slurs and threats against Jews.

Boris Johnson described it as an act of “shameful racism” and the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, said the video was “utterly disgusting”. Starmer tweeted: “Antisemitism, misogyny and hate have no place on our streets or in our society. There must be consequences.”

The prime minister said there was no place for antisemitism in our society. “Ahead of Shavuot, I stand with Britain’s Jews, who should not have to endure the type of shameful racism we have seen today,” he added.

On Sunday evening, a Scotland Yard statement said: “Officers investigating a video which appeared to show antisemitic abuse being shouted from a car in north London have made four arrests.

“Police received reports of people shouting antisemitic abuse from a car travelling within a convoy of vehicles … Inquiries were carried out and officers traced a car to the A40 in Hillingdon. The police helicopter was deployed and officers stopped the car at approximately 18:30hrs. Four men were arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offences. They were taken into custody at a west London police station where they remain.”

Supt Jo Edwards, who is in charge of the policing operation, said: “This behaviour was utterly shocking and will not be tolerated. I understand that this would have caused considerable concern within the community and we have arranged extra patrols in the St John’s Wood and Golders Green areas this evening.”

The housing and communities secretary, Robert Jenrick, described the video in a statement as “deeply disturbing”. He added: “Vile, criminal hatred like this must not be tolerated.

“Whatever your view of the conflict in Israel and Gaza, there is no justification for inciting anti-Jewish or anti-Muslim hatred. The incidents of antisemitism we have seen in recent days have been shameful.

“Some of the language used on marches this weekend and in posts on social media is intimidating, criminal and racist. We must not tolerate this vile, shameful hate in our country. These actions must stop.”

The video was also condemned by the Lib Dem MP Layla Moran and the shadow foreign secretary, Lisa Nandy. Nandy tweeted: “This is absolutely vile. They must be caught and face consequences. There is no place for this poisonous hatred – at all, ever.”

Thirteen people were arrested after a day of largely peaceful pro-Palestinian protests outside the Israeli embassy in west London on Saturday.

The Met said nine of its officers were injured while dispersing crowds outside the embassy. The force said missiles were thrown at officers during “small pockets of disorder”.

Nine arrests were made for violent disorder and a further four people were held on suspicion of breaching health protection regulations. They all remain in custody.

Earlier on Saturday, thousands of people marched through central London to express solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Demonstrations also took place in Birmingham, Coventry, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh and other UK towns and cities.

At least 139 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip, including 39 children, amid spiralling violence that began with the attempted eviction of Arabs from the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in East Jerusalem. In Israel, at least seven people have been killed, including one child.