Jewish Friends Assaulted in Shocking Leicester Square Hate Attack
Three Jewish friends were brutally targeted in London’s Leicester Square after speaking Hebrew on a night out. Early on Sunday, a gang shouted “Free Palestine” and launched an anti-Semitic assault, leaving one victim needing hospital treatment.
Attackers Targeted Victims Over Jewish Identity
The trio—two men and a woman—were chatting in Hebrew when confronted. The attackers asked if they were Jewish, then bombarded them with hateful slurs and chants. When the victims tried to walk away, the gang called reinforcements. Between 15 and 20 attackers joined in, physically assaulting the friends.
Victim Speaks Out on Terrifying Ordeal
“I feared for my life,” said Tehilla, the female victim. “I suffered injuries to my leg and neck, and my friends had head wounds. It was horrific.”
Tehilla also criticised the police response, revealing she called the Met during the attack but was met with delays and was told she wasn’t “the only one that called tonight.”
Met Police Confirm Hate Crime Investigation
The Metropolitan Police are treating the assault as an anti-Semitic hate crime. Detectives are investigating, reviewing CCTV footage and speaking with victims and witnesses.
Detective Superintendent Lucy O’Connor condemned the violence and pledged to prioritise tackling anti-Semitic crime. She acknowledged the delayed police response and stressed the importance of swift action in such cases.
The Met was alerted at 1:37am but officers didn’t arrive until around 2:00am—by then all involved had left. One victim later sought hospital treatment.
The police urge anyone with information or footage to contact them on 101, quoting case number 791/21jan.
