Just hours after two Jewish worshippers were murdered outside a synagogue in Manchester, pro-Palestine marches took place in London, Manchester, and Leeds—provoking outrage from Jewish leaders, opposition politicians, and Israel’s government.
The victims were named as Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53. Their killer, 35-year-old Syrian-born Jihad Al-Shamie, rammed his car into worshippers outside Heaton Park Synagogue on Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day, before stabbing bystanders. Armed police shot him dead within minutes. Three others remain in hospital with serious injuries. Authorities later confirmed Al-Shamie was unknown to security services.
While Manchester’s Jewish community grieved, thousands gathered in Westminster to demonstrate in support of Gaza, linked to Greta Thunberg’s failed flotilla. Video showed clashes with police; officers said 40 arrests were made. In Manchester, protesters assembled near the city’s main train station—just four miles from the synagogue—while in Leeds, some were filmed chanting “death to the IDF.”
The timing drew widespread condemnation. Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis urged the government to “get a grip” on demonstrations that have repeatedly featured antisemitic slogans. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood called the protests “dishonourable” and urged organisers to pause “for at least a few days.” Former cabinet minister Robert Jenrick described the marches as “shameful” and told protesters to “do the decent thing—go home.”
From Jerusalem, Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Britain of allowing a “toxic wave” of anti-Jewish hatred to fester. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned: “Weakness in the face of terrorism only brings more terrorism.” British prime minister Keir Starmer, who cut short an overseas visit to lead an emergency meeting in London, promised to guarantee the security of Jewish communities and ordered increased armed patrols around synagogues.
In Crumpsall, the diverse Manchester district where Muslims and Jews have long lived side by side, Yom Kippur prayers continued in an evacuation centre under police guard. Rabbi Daniel Walker, his robe stained with blood from tending to victims, led the service. Local leaders said synagogue security volunteers had prevented a far worse massacre by holding the attacker at the doors.
Counter-terror police later arrested two men and a woman in connection with the attack, while investigators searched Al-Shamie’s home in a nearby suburb.
Despite the bloodshed, pro-Palestinian groups are planning further rallies this weekend, including one in London’s Trafalgar Square, openly defying the ban on Palestine Action, an activist network outlawed as a terrorist organisation in July. Britain’s independent terrorism watchdog has suggested the government consider powers to suspend protests in cases where police resources are already stretched.
Meanwhile, flags over the House of Commons were lowered in tribute to the victims, and police pledged constant patrols in Jewish neighbourhoods of Manchester. For a city already scarred by Islamist violence—including the 2017 bombing that killed 22 at a pop concert—the latest attack is a grim reminder that Britain’s struggle with extremism is far from over.
