Several ambulances belonging to the Jewish volunteer rescue organization Hatzolah Northwest were set on fire outside a synagogue in London's Golders Green neighborhood in the early hours of Monday, in what appears to be an antisemitic attack.
Security camera footage shared with CNN showed three masked individuals approaching an ambulance belonging to Hatzolah Northwest and setting it on fire. The timestamp on the video reads 1:36 a.m. Monday morning, and the location is marked as Machzikei Hadath, matching the name of the adjacent synagogue.
Local resident Charlie Richards told CNN she heard “multiple explosions since 2:00 a.m." Video filmed by Richards showed a large orange explosion and smoke rising into the sky.
Golders Green is home to many synagogues, schools, and kosher restaurants, and is known for its large Jewish community. The
London’s fire services told CNN it was responding to an incident in the Golders Green neighborhood. A spokesperson could not confirm the cause of the incident at this stage, including whether an explosion had occurred.
The Metropolitan Police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.
London has seen a sharp rise in incidents of antisemitism in recent years. Last month, a bakery in London owned by Jews was vandalized following a pro-Palestinian Arab protest that accused the company of “funding Israel."
In December, anti-Israel protesters in London targeted an Israeli-owned bakery.
In November, police in London moved an anti-Israel protest away from St. John’s Wood Synagogue after dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the building.
A month prior, a lecture by an Israeli academic at City St. George’s, University of London was disrupted when anti-Israel activists burst into his classroom, shouting accusations and threats.