Police investigating antisemitic abuse of Jewish marchers in London pride parade

JTA — London’s Metropolitan Police launched an investigation Monday into antisemitic abuse at a Pride parade in the capital after videos and pictures circulated on social media showing Jewish participants enduring taunts at Saturday’s event.

The Met said in a statement that officers were “aware of videos circulating online that show antisemitic verbal abuse directed towards attendees” at the parade in central London, and that footage was being reviewed to assess whether criminal offenses had been committed. They added that the force “continues to work hard to tackle hate crimes of all types.”

Videos shared online show people carrying rainbow flags incorporating the Star of David being confronted by individuals shouting “Free Palestine.” The harassment escalated with attendees shouting, “Go back to your Zionist homeland,” “You kill Arab children, you kill gay children,” “F*** you, Jew,” and “How many babies did you kill?”

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reached out to Pride in London for comment. They had not replied by press time.

The incident comes amid heightened concern over antisemitism in Britain since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. There have been a record number of antisemitic incidents in the UK over the past two years.

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition

by email and never miss our top stories

By signing up, you agree to the terms

Pride in London drew tens of thousands of participants and visitors to Soho in the capital. This year, around 150 people marched as part of a Jewish bloc at the event. Some Jewish LGBTQ+ organizations have in recent years chosen not to participate in Pride, citing hostility towards Zionist Jews.

'Fuck you Jew' said to Jews celebrating Pride in London today. Watch till the end@metpoliceuk pic.twitter.com/Q8aa6Tzi5m

— JewishWomenCount (@jwomencount2) July 4, 2026

Organizers said the return this year followed discussions with Pride in London over Jewish inclusion and commitments that organizers would undertake antisemitism awareness training in partnership with the Community Security Trust, the main security consultant to the Jewish community. Jewish LGBTQ group Keshet UK stated earlier this year that the measures were intended to help ensure Jewish LGBTQ+ participants could march “safely and openly” following concerns raised after Oct. 7.

It was not clear whether the Jewish marchers who endured the abuse were part of the Jewish bloc – accounts from marchers who stayed with the Jewish bloc were generally positive.

“A few people came and chanted ‘free, free, Palestine,’” Israeli author and LGBTQ+ activist Hen Mazzig told JTA. “They were passing  through. And there was another person who was at a cafe and then they came by and they were just staring at us.”

Mazzig shared footage from the event on X, ”My pride is not affected by the opinions of others. I am gay, I am Jewish, and I’m here to stay. Am Yisrael chai,” he said.

Mazzig splits his time between London and Tel-Aviv, because his husband is British. He told JTA in a phone interview that Saturday’s incidents “were scary, especially when a Pride parade is supposed to be inclusive.”

Mazzig said that since Oct, 7, circumstances have been exceptionally challenging for the British Jewish community “but specifically for LGBTQ youth that are being forced to choose between their Jewish identity and their queer identity.”

Unless Jewish marchers specifically say they are anti-Zionist they will not be accepted, Mazzig claimed. “Every statement of solidarity with LGBTQ Jews seems to come with a ‘but,’” he said. ‘We  support you, but not if you’re physically Jewish, not if you’re supporting Israel. You have to renounce half of your identity first.’ That’s not equality.”

In advance of Saturday’s event, some 650 Met police officers were deployed to enforce “zero tolerance” on hate crime and to ensure that attendees could “safely and securely” enjoy the parade.

When JTA asked the Metropolitan police why at least two police officers appeared to stand by as Jews were subject to abuse, the Met requested that JTA provide the video in question. After being supplied with the video, the Met later told JTA that it had nothing further to add at this stage but would provide an update if they did.