North London anti-Semitic attack: Gas canisters thrown at Jews by group screaming 'Heil Hitler'

Members of a Jewish community in the Tottenham Hale area of north London have been pelted with small gas canisters by a group of men in a pickup truck. Shomrim, which monitors anti-Semitism, said three men threw the metal objects at three separate people — two men and a woman — while reportedly shouting "Hitler is on the way to you, Heil Hitler, Heil Hitler, Heil Hitler."

The Jewish individuals were out shopping at the Tottenham Hale retail park when they were attacked on Wednesday (6 January). "The verbal abuse was disgusting, and small objects were thrown towards the victims, making them fear for their immediate safety," Shomrim volunteer Michael Blayer said.

"The incident has been reported to the Metropolitan police, I have absolute confidence in our local police that this will be thoroughly investigated. I encourage anyone who witnessed this incident or who may have experienced a similar incident to report it," he added.

Shomrim represents the Jewish community in the nearby Stamford Hill, which is home to the ultra-orthodox Haredi community, and has witnessed a number of anti-Semitic attacks and protests over the years.

Figures released by the Metropolitan police in December showed hate crimes against Jews in London surged by over 61% over the last 12 months. "The number of anti-Semitic offences recorded between December 2013 and November 2014 was 299. There were 184 more anti-Semitic offences in the subsequent 12-month period to November 2015," a spokesperson for the authorities said.