Four men arrested on charges of anti-Semitic abuse released on bail

Four men arrested after hearing anti-Semitic slurs being shouted from a car in north London have been released on bail.
Images on social media showed a convoy of cars covered in Palestinian flags passing on Finchley Road, with passengers heard using offensive language and making threats against Jews.
Metropolitan Police said the incident took place in the city’s St John’s Wood neighborhood on May 16.
#UPDATE | Officers investigating video that appeared to show anti-Semitic abuse shouted from a car in St John’s Wood this afternoon made four arrests https://t.co/oFylcpgqMl
– Metropolitan police events (@MetPoliceEvents) May 16, 2021
Officers traced the car to the A40 at Hillingdon and four men were arrested on suspicion of race-aggravated public order offenses.
The Met said they were also arrested in connection with a “similar incident” which took place shortly after 1.30am on Sunday in the Broughton Park district of Salford, Manchester.
All four were released on bail “pending further investigation,” the Met said.
The incident has been criticized by several parties, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemning acts as “shameful racism” which have “no place” in society.
It took place after thousands of people marched in London on Saturday to the gates of the Israeli embassy, ââwhile protests took place in other cities across the UK and Ireland in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Thousands of Palestinians have been forced to flee their homes after a week of protracted conflict.
Since last Monday evening, the Palestinian militant group Hamas has fired hundreds of rockets at Israel, which the army has responded by bombarding the Gaza Strip with tank fire and airstrikes.
Responding to reports of anti-Semitic abuse, Mr Johnson said: âThere is no room for anti-Semitism in our society.
âBefore Shavuot, I stand with the Jews of Britain who shouldn’t have to endure the kind of shameful racism we have seen today.â
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer called the incident “totally disgusting”.
âAnti-Semitism, misogyny and hatred have no place in our streets or in our society,â he said.
“There must be consequences.”