Greater Manchester Police are receiving calls from Jewish children requesting the presence of armed officers at Hanukkah celebrations, amid heightened fears linked to antisemitism and recent attacks on Jewish communities, the force’s chief constable said.
Sir Stephen Watson made the remarks at a Policy Exchange event in London, describing a reality in which heightened security around Jewish life has become routine. He said it has long been “normal” for Jewish children to attend schools protected by fences and guards, a situation that has intensified in recent months.
“October 7 started to lift the heat dramatically, in terms of the actual threat posed to our Jewish communities and the perceptions of the threat posed against our Jewish communities,” Watson said. “The level of fear increased and suddenly, it wasn’t an abstract issue.”
According to the police chief, that fear has now reached a point where children are actively seeking police protection for religious events. “You’ve got a group of ten-year-old girls wanting to go to a Hanukkah party … making a request for armed police officers,” he said.
Watson added that reports of individuals in Manchester celebrating the recent mass shooting at Bondi Beach during Hanukkah were “sickeningly distasteful.” He said Greater Manchester Police, which serves an area home to the largest Jewish community outside London, is investigating those reports.
The comments come as Greater Manchester Police and the Metropolitan Police announced a tougher stance on protest chants and placards, including the slogan “globalize the intifada.” Watson said the “context has changed” following recent terrorist attacks and that such language carries real-world consequences.
“What I can tell you is that if you do that this weekend, my officers will arrest you,” he said, referring to chanting the slogan at demonstrations. “Words have meaning and consequence. We will act decisively and make arrests.”