Video: watson/Elena Maria Müller
Mar 23, 2026, 9:29 a.mMarch 23, 2026, 11:31 am
After a fire in the London district of Barnet, the police are investigating suspected anti-Semitic arson attacks. Four ambulances belonging to the Jewish community’s rescue service were set on fire, police said. The incident is being treated as an anti-Semitic hate crime. There were initially no arrests.
There was probably an anti-Semitic arson attack in London.Image: keystone
“This is a deeply shocking anti-Semitic arson attack,” wrote Prime Minister Keir Starmer on X. Anti-Semitism has “no place in our society.” The Prime Minister called on witnesses to contact the police. According to Sky News, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis described the act as a “particularly heinous attack – not just on the Jewish community, but on the values we share as a society.”
The emergency services were called to the fire on Monday night in the suburb of Golders Green, where many people of Jewish faith live. As a precaution, several houses were evacuated. There were no injuries and the fires had been extinguished, it was said. There are currently three suspects, said senior police officer Sarah Jackson.
Explosions also reported
The fire department reported that several gas bottles on the vehicles exploded, causing windows in a neighboring apartment block to break. 40 firefighters were on site. The police also said they had heard of explosions and assumed they were caused by the gas bottles.
Material from surveillance cameras is currently being evaluated, said Jackson. We also know about online videos. “We are aware that this will cause great concern among the local population,” she said, referring to the attack. Additional patrols will be deployed in the area. The police asked for information from witnesses. (dab/sda/dpa)
Video: watson/Elena Maria Müller
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