Four men have been arrested by officers investigating a video which appeared to show antisemitic abuse being shouted from a car in north London, the Metropolitan Police says.
It comes after a video was posted and widely shared on social media showing a group of cars decorated with the Palestinian flag pulling up at traffic lights.
As the group of cars arrive in the video, one person with a megaphone appears to be shouting abuse.
The events in the footage are described as having taken place in north London’s Finchley Road.
The Met Police investigation into the footage comes amid continuing violence in Gaza, which has seen 192 Palestinians killed, including 58 children and 34 women.
A statement from Scotland Yard read: “Officers investigating a video which appeared to show anti-Semitic abuse being shouted from a car in north London have made four arrests.
Police received reports of people shouting anti-Semitic abuse from a car travelling within a convoy of vehicles through the St John’s Wood area on the afternoon of Sunday, 16 May.
Enquiries were carried out and officers traced a car to the A40 in Hillingdon. The police helicopter was deployed and officers stopped the car at approximately 18:30hrs.
Four men were arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offences. They were taken into custody at a west London police station where they remain.
Superintendent Jo Edwards, in charge of the policing operation, said: “This behaviour was utterly shocking and will not be tolerated. I understand that this would have caused considerable concern within the community and we have arranged extra patrols in the St John’s Wood and Golders Green areas this evening.”
Officers also engaged with protesters at a planned demonstration on Whitehall during the afternoon. The event passed peacefully and concluded without any arrests.
Thousands took to the streets in London
Thousands of people marched through the capital on Saturday to the gates of the embassy in Kensington, while protests took place in other cities across the UK and Ireland in solidarity with the people of Palestine.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn appeared alongside the Palestinian ambassador to the UK at a rally in support of the Palestinians, as the conflict with Israel continues.
Demonstrators chanted “free, free Palestine”, and held banners calling for an end to the bombing of the territory by Israeli forces.
