‘I don’t give a f— about the Jewish community’ says pro-Palestinian protester amid mob violence

Thousands of people waving Palestinian flags gathered in central London on the same day two Jewish worshippers were killed and three others injured in the car and knife attack.

Violent confrontations erupted between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and police outside Downing Street this evening, mere hours after a terror attack at a synagogue in Manchester.

Thousands of individuals waving Palestinian flags congregated in central London on the same day that two Jewish worshippers were killed and three others injured in a car and knife assault.

The crowd was responding to an earlier call to protest against the arrest of Greta Thunberg. This news comes as the attacker of the Manchester synagogue is identified following the death of 2 individuals.

Jihad Al-Shamie was fatally shot by police on Thursday morning shortly after he targeted worshippers at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester just before 9.30am.

The assault occurred on Yom Kippur, the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar, reports the Express.

Police vans were deployed as skirmishes broke out

Footage from the London protest shows three police vans and numerous officers at the scene, some involved in altercations with protesters.

Another video showed demonstrators in Leeds chanting “death, death to the IDF”.

Posters circulated on social media encouraged pro-Palestinian activists to gather at 19 locations around the UK between 5.30pm and 6pm on Thursday. The majority of these were major railway stations, according to The Telegraph.

Among the locations where protesters were encouraged to assemble included Parliament Square in London, Cardiff Central, Sheffield railway station, Farnborough station in Surrey, Manchester Piccadilly and Liverpool Lime Street.

Activist dismisses synagogue attack

A pro-Palestinian activist in Westminster claimed today’s terror attack doesn’t compare to the ordeal faced by Greta Thunberg’s flotilla.

Fiona Smith, 42, told The Telegraph: “I don’t give a f— about the Jewish community right now. I thought about it and I’m sorry about what happened, but the whole story and why we’re here is because of what happened yesterday [with the flotilla].”

The Swedish environmental campaigner and several companions were seized off the Israeli coastline earlier this week whilst attempting to navigate an aid flotilla towards Gaza. She’s anticipated to be expelled from the Jewish state shortly.

Ms Smith’s companion, Sibilla Todaro, 39, who was also present at the demonstration and resides in London, continued: “The fact that they’ve been attacked doesn’t mean that we’ve not been attacked as well.

“We’ve been attacked for three years. The fact that we’re here does not mean that we do not respect them and we do not feel sorry for what happened, which is obviously a tragic incident. But we shouldn’t [stop everything] the show must go on.

“None of us are against the Jewish community – we’re against Zionism. There’s a lot of Jewish people here with us protesting, which clearly means they condemn what happened today as well as they support this. They’re not mutually exclusive.

“This is an emergency protest because there has been an attack yesterday – they’ve taken and effectively kidnapped a bunch of people in the flotilla from different countries in international waters and that’s a crime.

“But no one’s doing anything against Israel, because Israel is supported by the United States.”

New York tourist caught up in protest

Justin Alintoff, 26, a tourist from New York who found himself embroiled in the protest, said the sentiment was disheartening but not unexpected.

He stated: “I think the problem is, when you ask the protesters here about the attack, they say, ‘It shouldn’t have happened, but…'”.

“But I don’t think there should be a ‘but’ after any terrorist attack, especially one which kills people that are trying to worship in peace.

“And so, I think it’s sad. It’s a shame. And unfortunately, it’s a part of Jewish history that we’ve been oppressed, we’ve been attacked.

“I’m from New York, and from those who I’ve spoken to, I’ve heard that people are extremely concerned and threatened in London.”

Scuffles break out in Manchester city centre

Tensions also escalated at a pro-Palestinian march in the heart of Manchester.

Earlier in the day, police had given the green light for a protest to take place at Manchester Piccadilly railway station just hours after the synagogue attack.

British Transport Police (BTP) stated they would “facilitate peaceful protest” but cautioned that officers would step in if protesters attempted to gain access to the station.

One woman, who lost her hat amidst the chaos, expressed her disappointment: “I’m just so upset this has been held today. I’m all for free speech on any other day but it’s not right to be doing this today.”

Among those voicing their disapproval was 49 year old Nick Voss, who stated: “After what’s happened today, this should have been cancelled out of respect. I know that they are on an opposing side, but I think it should have been cancelled.”

He continued his criticism: “We all have a right to protest but these guys aren’t respectful. As far as I’m concerned, they’re terror supporters and far-Left communists and they disgust me to my absolute core.”

Voss added: “It was upsetting to see what happened in Heaton Park, I know a couple of people who were nearby when it happened and they’re shocked.”

He declared his determination: “I’ve come today to stand against this protest and I’ll do it every single week.”

In light of plans to disrupt British railway services, Assistant Chief Constable Sean O’Callaghan of BTP issued a stern warning: “This is a direct appeal to anyone considering protesting on the railway network this evening – I urge you to think again.”

He highlighted the dangers involved: “The railway is an incredibly dangerous environment and stepping on to railway tracks could very easily result in serious injury or death.”

O’Callaghan emphasised the importance of safety during protests: “Everyone has the right to protest but anyone wishing to do so should not be thinking about putting their lives, or anyone else’s, at risk by doing so on the tracks.

“I’d like to also take this opportunity to remind protesters that trespassing is a criminal offence and anyone responsible for unlawfully disrupting the network can expect to be arrested for obstructing the railway, a very serious offence which could lead to imprisonment.”

The march must be halted

Alex Hearn, co-director of Labour Against Antisemitism, voiced his concerns: “These so-called ‘pro-Palestinian’ marches have been characterised by anti-Jewish racism in placards, slogans and speeches.”

He criticised the timing and support of the event: “To go ahead with one in Manchester just days after a deadly attack against the Jewish community there is not just tone deaf – they list a proscribed terrorist group as a supporter.”

Hearn called for action: “Like the celebratory rallies organised on Oct 7, this march is an unacceptable state of affairs that needs to be stopped for the public order.”