15 arrested after clashes at protest outside London synagogue
Police confirmed 15 people were arrested following protests outside a synagogue in north-west London on Sunday.
Images shared on social media platforms show police officers detaining demonstrators during clashes outside the Edgware United Synagogue, where people carrying both Palestinian and Israeli flags gathered.
The Metropolitan Police said the arrests were made “for a range of offences, including public order matters”.
Addressing the incident, Commander Adam Slonecki explained: “We liaised with the venue and the Community Safety Trust and deployed officers to prevent serious disruption and deal with any crime, using all powers available to us, including enforcing conditions under the Public Order Act.”
Commander Slonecki also emphasized the particular sensitivity of the location and noted: “We are aware that Jewish communities are experiencing increased fear and anxiety following two and a half years of protests and a series of arson and other attacks in recent months.”
He drew a distinction between protest venues, adding: “There is a distinction between protesting in central London and protesting in the heart of communities where the potential for serious disruption and intimidation is higher, and our policing plan reflects this.”
The Board of Deputies of British Jews expressed its strong condemnation, saying it was “deeply disturbed” by the “completely unfair” demonstration.
The shooting came just two days after four Palestine Action activists were jailed following a raid on the UK factory of an Israeli-based defense firm; The judge ruled that the incident was an “act of terrorism”.
The operation caused £1.2 million in damage and left a police officer with a broken spine.
Samuel Corner, 23, a former Oxford student, was given the longest prison sentence of seven years and eight months. Charlotte Head, 30, and Leona Kamio, 30, were each sentenced to five years in prison, while Fatema Rajwani, 21, was sentenced to four years and eight months. All four will serve on license for one more year after their release.
Activists were involved in an incident in August 2024 in which a former prison van crashed into an Elbit Systems facility near Bristol.
Dressed in red overalls, they used sledgehammers and crowbars to destroy computers, drones and other equipment before police intervened. During the raid, Corner hit Pc Kate Evans twice in the back with a seven-pound sledgehammer, causing her spine to fracture.
