Man arrested after ‘brandishing knife at staff’ in Jewish supermarket

Suspect demanded that workers at shop in Golders Green, north London, answer his questions about ‘events in Palestine’

A man who allegedly brandished a knife after demanding that Jewish staff in a kosher supermarket in London answered questions about “events in Palestine” has been arrested.
The incident happened at the shop, in the predominantly Jewish area of Golders Green, in the north of the capital, at just before 1.30pm on Monday.
Footage posted on social media showed a man wearing a grey hoodie and tracksuit bottoms arguing and grappling with shop staff and customers while holding a knife.
Onlookers claimed he then changed into traditional Muslim dress before being wrestled to the ground and arrested by police and members of the Shomrim community security organisation.
Scotland Yard said a 34-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon, criminal damage and racially-aggravated affray, but added that the incident was not being treated as a terrorism.
A spokesman for the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism said staff at the supermarket claimed the man had challenged them about the ongoing situation in Israel and Gaza before he allegedly became violent.
The spokesman said: “A suspect has been taken into custody after being subdued by the Met Police and Shomrim, and a knife has been recovered from the scene. Thanks to the swift police and Shomrim response, nobody was harmed.
“We have been told that a man who lives near the kosher supermarket entered the premises and demanded that staff answer his questions about events in Palestine. The staff responded that they did not wish to talk about politics, at which point the man allegedly brandished a knife.
“Brave staff kept the man at bay using shopping trolleys and called police and Shomrim, who arrived promptly. At this point the man had entered a building and emerged having attempted to change his appearance and donned traditional Muslim garb, at which point he was apprehended.
“This incident clearly did not take place in a vacuum. We have repeatedly warned of the dangers of hatred going almost unchecked on the streets of London.
“We thank the Metropolitan Police Service and Shomrim NW London for their brave and urgent response to this alleged anti-Semitic attack. We are following the matter closely and will give further updates when we can.”
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “We were called at 1.27pm on Monday, Jan 29 to reports of a man with a knife in Hamilton Road, NW11.
“Officers responded and carried out a search of the area. Shortly before 1.40pm, a 34-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon, criminal damage and racially-aggravated affray. He was taken into custody.
“There were no reports of any injuries. A knife was recovered at the scene. The incident is not being treated as terror-related.”
The spokesman added that the assessment made by the officers at the scene was that the incident was not terror-related.