David Lammy was booed and heckled by mourners at last night’s vigil for the victims of the synagogue terror attack.
In astonishing scenes, the Deputy Prime Minister was told by furious members of Manchester’s Jewish community that he had ‘blood on his hands’.
Amid chants of ‘shame on you’, Mr Lammy was also accused of allowing anti-Semitism to grow on the streets, and urged to ‘stop the marches’ by pro-Palestinian groups.
Ministers will face fresh anger today as a protest in support of banned terror group Palestine Action will go ahead after organisers ignored pleas from the police and Government to call it off.
On an extraordinary day following the attack on Heaton Park synagogue by an Islamic terrorist:
- Police admitted that one of the two worshippers killed was accidentally shot by officers;
- The family of shooting victim Adrian Daulby, 53, said he died a hero;
- Stabbing victim Melvin Cravitz, 66, was described as a friend to his Muslim neighbours who was ‘always smiling’;
- It emerged that terrorist Jihad Al-Shamie was on bail for alleged rape and had a criminal record;
- His father Faraj Al-Shamie condemned his son’s ‘heinous act’ – but has praised the October 7 attacks;
- The rabbi leading the Yom Kippur service, Daniel Walker, told how ‘very, very brave men’ helped him hold the doors to the synagogue shut;
- Keir Starmer was accused by Nigel Farage of ‘emboldening’ protesters by recognising a Palestinian state;
David Lammy was booed and heckled on Friday as he spoke at a vigil for the Manchester terror attack victims
Mr Lammy, who as Foreign Secretary over the past year imposed restrictions on arms sales to Israel and twice summoned its ambassador to criticise its handling of the conflict in Gaza, addressed a hostile crowd of hundreds who had gathered in torrential rain to pay tribute to the victims.
He faced calls of ‘go to Palestine, leave us alone’ and ‘shame on you’. One man shouted: ‘You are all guilty. You have allowed Jew hatred in Manchester, on the streets.’
Mr Lammy had to pause several times as he was interrupted by cries of ‘stop the marches’ and ‘you have blood on your hands’.
Heckler Geraldine Simon, a decades-long friend of Mr Cravitz, said Mr Lammy was booed because the Labour Government had ‘let the Jewish community down’. The 67-year-old told the Daily Mail: ‘His opening words addressed the crowd as “friends” and that was like a red rag to a bull.
‘I shouted “Platitudes! Platitudes!” And “We don’t need you” when he said he was here with us. I just couldn’t help snorting with derision.’
Joanne Lazarus, a 61-year-old grandmother who was married in Heaton Park synagogue, said: ‘When I heard David Lammy was speaking, a passion from within overtook me and I just had to say something to him.
‘Enough is enough. The marches have been allowed to spread hatred for too long. I hope he heard me.’
And father-of-three Tony Levene, 50, said: ‘When I saw David Lammy, I was filled with disappointment and anger. The Labour Government is responsible for what happened yesterday.
The justice secretary faced calls of ‘go to Palestine, leave us alone’ and ‘shame on you’. One man shouted: ‘You are all guilty. You have allowed Jew hatred in Manchester, on the streets’
‘They have allowed hatred on our streets. They allow hatred on campus. They let people chant “intifada”. They have rewarded a terrorist regime.’
It came after outrage at pro-Palestinian groups staging protests across the country only hours after the atrocity in Manchester.
Forty people were arrested during a demonstration outside Downing Street, six of whom
were held for assaults on police officers, while there were also clashes in Manchester.
Reform UK leader Mr Farage described Thursday night’s ‘vile scenes’ on the streets as a symbol of ‘Broken Britain’ and claimed those involved were ‘actually celebrating’.
He said: ‘Will this Prime Minister do anything about it? No. In fact, he’s emboldened these people by his recognition of Palestine two weeks ago.
‘Now there is a big, big march planned in London this Saturday, and I think the only way we can describe it is a hate march. Whether the Home Secretary and the police decide they’ve got the powers to stop it, I don’t know.’
Independent reviewer of terrorism legislation Jonathan Hall KC said there may be a case for a new law to allow protests to be banned if they would overwhelm police. Sir Keir admitted last night that protests planned for this weekend, ahead of the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks, would cause further ‘distress’.
Mr Lammy told Friday afternoon’s vigil near the site of the synagogue attack that ‘we must stand in grief, in solidarity and in defiance’
He wrote in the Jewish Chronicle: ‘I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognise and respect the grief of British Jews this week. This is a moment of mourning.’
His plea came after Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said of the Trafalgar Square demo planned by protest group Defend Our Juries: ‘I don’t think they do their cause any favours.’ She also described Thursday night’s protests as ‘fundamentally un-British’ and ‘dishonourable’.
Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said he had no legal power to ban the protest and was forced to beg organisers to call it off.
He added: ‘People have been debating for the last two years whether pro-Palestinian protests are simply a call for peace, or have an implicit intention to stir up anti-Semitism.
‘Continuing such protests within hours of Thursday’s awful terrorist murder… will likely create further tensions and some might say lacks sensitivity.’
But Defend Our Juries vowed to go ahead with the demonstration.
Counter-terrorism police last night announced the arrest of three more people in connection with the attack, bringing the total to six. A man and two women, aged between 18 and 45, were in custody on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism.
