A fire was reported at a memorial wall on Monday in London’s Golders Green neighborhood, which is heavily Jewish, the Metropolitan Police reported Tuesday.
There has been a recent spate of arson attacks against Jewish, Israeli, and Iranian dissident sites in London.
The memorial wall on Limes Avenue was not damaged. It was not named by the police, but a memorial devoted to protesters murdered by the Iranian regime, called by some the Eternal Wall, was established on the corner of Limes and Golders Green Road.
Across the road opposite the Eternal Wall is the Michael Sobell Jewish Community Center, and behind the memorial is the Beis Hamedrash Kehal Chasidim synagogue.
No arrests have been made, and the fire is not being treated as a terrorist incident, the police said. Counter Terrorism Policing London is leading the investigation.
The police recognized that the incident might heighten concerns in a neighborhood where the spate of London arson attacks began on March 23, Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams said.
“We are working closely with community organizations and leaders, and want to reassure them that our protective security operation continues,” he said in a press release. “Our local officers are working closely with Counter Terror Policing to support their investigation.
“Since last month’s attack in Golders Green, we have stepped up our work to reassure communities. This includes armed police patrols as well as deployments of officers from Project Servator, who are specially trained to spot anyone who may be planning or preparing to commit criminal acts.”
London Jews hit with arson attacks
The Board of Deputies of British Jews said it was concerned about an attack against British Iranian dissidents that occurred outside a synagogue.
“Our country and our communities are under attack, potentially by a foreign state,” the board’s president, Phil Rosenberg, wrote on X/Twitter.
“We are grateful to the police and politicians for their support, but a new muscularity is needed to confront and defeat this shared challenge.”
The spate of arson attacks began with the burning of four Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green.
Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI) has claimed responsibility for many of the recent arson attacks.