A Jewish lawyer was arrested outside Israel’s London embassy after police claimed his Star of David “antagonized” protesters — igniting fury over rising antisemitism and alleged two-tier policing in Britain.
London, UK — A Jewish lawyer was arrested and detained for nearly 10 hours after police accused him of “antagonizing” pro-Palestinian protesters by openly wearing a Star of David, The Telegraph reported.
The man, in his 40s, was serving as an independent legal observer at a demonstration outside the Israeli embassy in Kensington on August 29, monitoring both protest activity and police conduct. Instead, he was handcuffed, placed in a police van, and held overnight at Hammersmith Police Station before being released at 4:30 a.m.
Police: Star of David Was ‘Antagonizing’
Footage obtained by The Telegraph shows a detective confronting the lawyer, claiming that wearing the Jewish symbol “openly” could cause “offense” to demonstrators. The Star of David was visible on a chain around his neck.
“It is outrageous that police should claim wearing a Star of David somehow antagonizes people,” the lawyer said. “They are trying to criminalize Jewish identity.”
He remains on police bail six weeks later, accused of violating a public order instruction to maintain distance between opposing protest groups — a claim he disputes.
“In an environment of rampant antisemitism, I will not be cowed. I will carry on wearing it,” he vowed.
Police Deny Targeting Jewish Symbol
The Metropolitan Police denied that the arrest was motivated by antisemitism, asserting that the man breached restrictions designed to separate protest groups and moved from observing to provoking.
A police spokesperson said the arrest fell under Section 14 of the Public Order Act, maintaining that the Star of David “was not the cause of his detention.”
The lawyer, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, rejected the explanation, saying he was documenting criminal activity among demonstrators and was himself subjected to antisemitic abuse, including being called a “Zionist baby killer.”
“This is one of the clearest examples of two-tier policing you will ever see,” he said. “Police claim the Star of David provokes protesters, while antisemitic chants and hate slogans go unpunished.”
Israeli Minister Condemns Arrest
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar strongly condemned the arrest, calling it “a moral disgrace.”
“The Star of David is a symbol of Jewish identity, not provocation,” Sa’ar said. “That Jews are warned in central London not to display it publicly shows how rampant antisemitism has poisoned Britain’s streets.”
He urged British authorities to ban antisemitic chants and launch a full institutional review into what he described as “the policing failure to protect Jewish citizens.”
Mounting Backlash Against British Authorities
The incident comes amid rising anger over Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s handling of anti-Israel marches, which continue weekly across major UK cities.
Police have been accused of turning a blind eye to hate speech, including chants glorifying Hamas and calling for the eradication of Israel, while enforcing restrictions on Jewish visibility or symbols.
Public outrage intensified after two Jews were murdered on Yom Kippur at a Manchester synagogue, an attack authorities are still investigating as a potential hate crime.
“Britain is fast becoming unsafe for Jews to publicly identify as Jews,” one community leader said. “When a Star of David becomes grounds for arrest, democracy itself is under threat.”
