Golders Green attack suspect was previously referred to Prevent – live updates

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Here are some images from the newswires of Keir Starmer in Golders Green this afternoon.

The prime minister faced chants of “Keir Starmer, Jew harmer” from protesters as he visited the area to meet emergency services who responded to the knife attack in north London yesterday.

Prime minister Keir Starmer and Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley meet first responders from Shomrim during a visit to Golders Green. Photograph: WPA/Getty Images

Starmer shakes hands with a volunteer from Shomrim. Photograph: WPA/Getty Images

Starmer speaks to volunteers from Shomrim. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/Reuters

Protesters hold up placards during Starmer’s visit. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/Reuters

Keir Starmer held a roundtable with first responders and leaders from Hatzola as well as Shomrim, a volunteer Jewish security group.

He was joined by home secretary Shabana Mahmood and Sarah Sackman, MP for Finchley and Golders Green, as well Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley.

Speaking to one of the volunteers, Mahmood said: “Keeping the community safe, running to towards risk is sadly necessary.”

Khan: 'Jewish Londoners want to see more action, not words'

London mayor Sadiq Khan has said that “Jewish Londoners understandably and rightly want to see more action, not words.”

In a statement on social media, the London mayor said that the Metropolitan police has surged its policing presence in Barnet over the last four weeks, with plans in place to deploy additional policing over the next month.

He wrote:

I welcome this announcement and will be continuing discussions with ministers and the Met about the additional national funding required to deliver the long-term step-change in policing presence that Jewish Londoners expect and deserve.

The Met commissioner and I have set out a proposed new approach to the government. This would include: growing neighbourhood policing teams in areas with large Jewish populations; creating a new Community Policing Hub near the centre of the Jewish community in Barnet; and adding another investigative team to expedite hate crime investigations.

The approach would use the tactics that have been proven to work in other recent operations, including in the West End, where a surge in neighbourhood teams has resulted in a major reduction in crime.

Khan added:

As mayor, I’ll continue to work with the government, the police, Jewish community groups and others to take the robust action needed to protect Jewish Londoners. I will not rest until Jewish communities feel safe in our city once again, and I urge all Londoners to join this vital fight and speak up against antisemitic hatred.

Now more then ever our collective allyship is important. I urge Londoners to remain on their guard against those who are trying to exploit this attack to turn London’s communities against each other. We must all support our Jewish friends, neighbours and colleagues and not allow the forces of hatred to divide us.

Niaz Maleknia, 57, was one of the demonstrators protesting as Keir Starmer visited a Jewish community ambulance service following the Golders Green terrorist attack.

Speaking to the Press Association on Thursday afternoon, she said: “I can’t stand this man, so that’s why I’m here, because he has done nothing but stand in the way of Donald Trump and Israel.

“And the reason why this place is such a mess and we’re all getting attacked is because of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and he’s standing with them.

“So that’s why I’m here, because this man just needs waking up.”

Maleknia, who is Iranian-Jewish, said she wants the Government to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation and shut down the Iranian Embassy.

Keir Starmer heckled during Golders Green visit

Demonstrators heckled the prime minister as he arrived at a Jewish community ambulance centre in Golders Green on Thursday afternoon.

A group of around 100 people could be heard chanting “Keir Starmer, Jew harmer” and held posters with the same slogan.

They also chanted “Keir Starmer is a traitor” as well as “show your face”.

Starmer was due to meet with first responders from Hatzola Northwest, a volunteer group whose ambulances were targeted in an arson attack last month.

Jonathan Hall, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, has called for a pause in pro-Palestinian protests where “public demonisation and hatred is incubated” in response to the Golders Green stabbings, arguing that “demonisation of Jews and Israels and Zionists will lead to a terrorist attack”.

The barrister acknowledged that the motivation of the 45-year-old suspect had yet to be established, but said that he believed there was a “social responsibility” to reduce the risk of attacks on the Jewish community, and said that antisemitism represented “a national security emergency”.

In a statement, he said:

The starting point is the perpetrator, and to imagine what would have happened if the attack had been fatal (as it could have been), and how an inquest or public inquiry would approach the matter with the benefit of hindsight.

What was there in his profile that made the attack more likely? Was all relevant information shared between the relevant agencies? Were opportunities missed?

We wait an assessment to whether Iran commissioned or inspired this attack – but ultimately it takes a UK resident to carry out an attack, so this is a social responsibility too. How do we reduce the risk that such individuals will carry out attacks?

This is where antisemitism in the public and private domain comes in. I have spoken about a national security emergency and the risk, as I have warned about repeatedly, that demonisation of Jews and Israels and Zionists will lead to a terrorist attack.

Since the right to life is more important than the right to protest, it makes sense to consider a pause or moratorium of protests where public demonisation and hatred is incubated. We are talking about protecting British lives, and the life of the community.

Suspect was referred to Prevent in 2020

The Metropolitan police has now confirmed the suspect in the Golders Green double stabbing was referred to Prevent, the official scheme trying to stop people becoming terrorists, in 2020.

The Guardian understands his case was closed within six weeks by the deradicalisation scheme, which has faced previous criticism.

The attack on Wednesday is being treated as terrorism by police who are investigating whether the suspect who is in custody was targeting people who were Jewish, in the north London area.

Police say a 45-year-old man was arrested at the scene, on suspicion of attempted murder.

In a statement counter-terrorism police said: “We can confirm the suspect was known to the Prevent programme and was subject to a Prevent referral in 2020, which was closed in the same year.

“Given the investigation remains ongoing, we will not be providing any further information in respect of this matter at this time and we remain focused on securing justice for the victims of this attack.”

The Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has said the suspect had a history of violence and mental health issues.

Suspect previously referred to Prevent counter-terrorism programme

The BBC has reported that the suspect in the Golders Green attack had been previously referred to the Prevent counter-terrorism programme.

The Guardian approached the Metropolitan police about the BBC’s report, but a spokesperson said it would not be commenting at this time.

The Met said yesterday that a 45-year-old man British national, who was born in Somalia, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Met commissioner Mark Rowley said the suspect has a history of mental health issues, drug use and convictions for violence.

Police officers are carrying out a search at an address in south east London, the Met said.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who visited Golders Green after the attack yesterday, said the community there does not feel the government is doing enough to protect Jewish people.

“You could feel the fear that was on the streets,” she told BBC Radio London.

Commenting on the government’s plans to invest a further £25m in extra policing and security for Jewish communities, Badenoch said: “We do need to see an increased police presence. The government has said it’s giving money – I don’t know exactly what the money is for, I don’t know if that money is enough.”

She added that the voluntary Jewish security group Shomrim has said “they have never had any money from government”. She said the volunteers are “having to look after themselves” and that it was “very lucky” that police officers were close to the attack.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch in Golders Green on Wednesday. Photograph: Jordan Pettitt/PA

Starmer: Golders Green attack was 'not a one-off'

Keir Starmer said an attack on the Jewish community “is an attack on all of us”.

“What we saw last night was people being targeted because they are Jewish, I’m absolutely clear about that,” the prime minister said.

“There’s no getting away from the fact that this was not a one-off.

“This has been a series of attacks on our Jewish community, particularly in recent weeks, and there is a very deep sense of anxiety, of concern about security, about safety, about identity frankly.”

Describing the “visceral feeling” among many British Jews, he added: “We have to be really clear that an attack on our Jewish community is an attack on all of us and we have to approach it in that way.”

Starmer: Criminal justice response to Golders Green attack must be 'swift, agile and visible'

Keir Starmer said the government and criminal justice system must respond to the suspected terrorist attack in Golders Green in “a swift, agile and visible way”, as he convened a meeting in Downing Street, PA reports.

Keir Starmer convenes a meeting of criminal justice agencies following the Golders Green attack in London. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Reuters

Speaking ahead of the private meeting in Downing Street, the prime minister said:

Today is about part of the response which is really important, which is the criminal justice response, because a number of people have been arrested, a number of them go through the criminal justice system, and it’s really important that we are able collectively to demonstrate that the response will be swift and visible.

And that’s why I wanted to get you around the table today.

He continued:

I do think there’s a wider duty on all of us in terms of confidence in the criminal justice system to be able to deal with appalling attacks like this, to show that it can act in a swift, agile and visible way.

And I look forward to a discussion with you as to how we make that happen.

Attending the meeting are:

• Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley

• Home secretary Shabana Mahmood

• Deputy prime minister David Lammy

• Attorney general Richard Hermer

• Security minister Dan Jarvis

• Justice minister and Finchley and Golders Green MP, Sarah Sackman