The Metropolitan Police are investigating a Thursday council meeting where Jewish Labour councilor Joshua Garfield was subjected to hissing and antisemitic taunts, Jewish News reported on Friday.
Standing to contribute to the budget meeting, Garfield was reportedly subjected to antisemitic comments and hissing.
Police have opened an investigation into shocking scenes at an East London council meeting that saw a Jewish Labour councilor loudly HISSED by individuals sitting in the public gallery as he rose to speak.
Detective Superintendent Dion Brown confirmed to Jewish News “We are aware of the incident that took place at a Newham Council meeting on Thursday, 29 February.
Police have opened an investigation into shocking scenes at an East London council meeting that saw a Jewish Labour councilor loudly HISSED by individuals sitting in the public gallery as he rose to speak.
Detective Superintendent Dion Brown, based in Newham, confirmed: “We are aware of the incident that took place at a Newham Council meeting on Thursday, 29 February.”
This is the moment a Jewish Labour councilor @JoshuaGarfield was HISSED as he rose to discuss the budget for Newham Council. He bravely challenged the antisemitic idiots in the public gallery. Full story to follow. pic.twitter.com/vA8pc72Afb
— lee harpin (@lmharpin) February 29, 2024
“We are treating this incident as a hate crime and have already made contact with the victim.
“Fast-paced enquiries are underway. Any witnesses, or anyone with any information about this incident, is asked to call police on 101, quoting CAD 2017/01Mar.”
Jewish News identified the hissing parties as e supporters of the Newham Independents group led by former Labour member Mehmood Mirza, who was suspended by the party in 2020 after being accused of antisemitism.
Mirza reportedly told the Thursday meeting that “Opposing genocide is not antisemitic.”
Condemning the incident
Garfield later addressed the meeting, where he recounted that he had been the only Jewish member of the council for the last four years and “it will take a lot more to bully me out of public life.”
Newham Labour Group came to Council to vote unanimously in favour of my amendment and our Labour Budget. But I also had to say this tonight. pic.twitter.com/zDIRaG19Bb
— Joshua Garfield (@JoshuaGarfield) March 1, 2024
“Those who seek to erode democracy by bullying me out of public life because of my ethnicity will not win,” Garfield wrote. “Antisemites disrupting our budget council meeting to hiss me before I’ve spoken have not silenced me and they never will.”
The incident was also condemned by UK Home Secretary James Cleverly, who wrote “Joshua stood against me in the General Election. We debated and we disagreed, but always with good grace.
“He is right to stand strong against attempts to bully him and others from the public space. I am determined to protect his right to represent and speak for his community.”
Joshua stood against me in the General Election. We debated and we disagreed, but always with good grace. He is right to stand strong against attempts to bully him and others from the public space. I am determined to protect his right to represent and speak for his community. https://t.co/9fivCriEUy
— James Cleverly (@JamesCleverly) March 1, 2024
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, also condemned the incident over X, writing that “This is appalling behaviour. There is no place in our city for antisemitism or hate speech of any kind.”
This is appalling behaviour.There is no place in our city for antisemitism or hate speech of any kind. https://t.co/wYx3TyAwpB
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) March 1, 2024
Pro-Israel MPs increasingly targeted
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Friday that he feared the country's achievements in building a multi-ethnic, multi-faith democracy were being undermined, as he spoke out against a rise in extremism and criminality.
"In recent weeks and months, we've seen a shocking increase in extremist disruption and criminality," Sunak said in an address late on Friday outside his Downing Street office.
"We are a country where we love our neighbors, and we are building Britain together. But I fear that our great achievement in building the world's most successful multi-ethnic multi-faith democracy is being deliberately undermined."
Recently, Conservative MP Mike Freer announced that he would be stepping down from his position following a number of threats and an arson attack on his office.