A Jewish man was temporarily detained in London for wearing a Star of David necklace.
By Rachel Avraham
What began as a calm autumn afternoon in central London turned into a moment that has sparked fierce debate about policing, free expression, and antisemitism in Britain. A Jewish man wearing a small Star of David pendant was detained by London police near a pro-Palestinian protest — accused of “antagonizing” the demonstrators simply by being visibly Jewish. The incident, captured on video on October 13, 2025 near Trafalgar Square, has drawn outrage from faith leaders and civil rights groups across the United Kingdom.
The footage shows officers surrounding the man as he quietly walked past the protest carrying no signs, chanting nothing, and avoiding confrontation. When asked why he was being stopped, one officer can be heard saying, “You are antagonizing the crowd by wearing that symbol here.” The man replies calmly, “It’s the Star of David — I wear it every day.” Moments later, police escorted him away, claiming his presence could provoke unrest. Within minutes, the video had gone viral.
Public reaction was immediate and polarized. The Metropolitan Police later confirmed the individual had been temporarily detained “to prevent a breach of the peace,” but critics said the force effectively criminalized Jewish identity. The Campaign Against Antisemitism condemned the action, saying: “This is a disgraceful failure of policing. No citizen should be detained for wearing a religious symbol in public.” The Board of Deputies of British Jews echoed that view, warning that “London cannot become a city where being openly Jewish is seen as provocation.”
The Metropolitan Police have faced mounting criticism for what many see as a pattern of inconsistent enforcement during the recent surge of Israel-related protests. In the past year, tens of thousands have gathered in central London in demonstrations calling for an end to Israel’s actions in Gaza. While most events remained peaceful, there have been repeated incidents of antisemitic chanting, hate graffiti, and verbal harassment of Jewish passers-by. Yet arrests for such behavior have been rare. In contrast, visible Jewish symbols have increasingly become the target of “preventive policing.”
This particular incident follows several others where Jewish Londoners reported being told by officers to remove Israeli flags, Magen David jewelry, or even kippahs “for their own safety.” Civil rights lawyer Adam Wagner described the pattern as “a complete inversion of the law,” arguing that the duty of police is to protect individuals exercising their rights, not to silence them in the face of potential hostility.
The Home Office has requested a full report from the Metropolitan Police Commissioner. Meanwhile, community groups have organized a solidarity walk in central London to assert the right of Jews to display religious symbols without fear. “We cannot normalize this,” said Rabbi Alex Goldberg, a member of the UK’s Interfaith Network. “If a Jewish symbol provokes anger, the problem is not the symbol — it’s the hatred directed at it.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan issued a brief statement calling for calm and reaffirming that “London is a city for all communities,” but he stopped short of criticizing the police directly. Opposition leaders, however, were less restrained. Conservative MP Robert Jenrick called the detention “a moral failure and a legal absurdity,” while Labour’s Margaret Hodge demanded a parliamentary inquiry into “how antisemitism is being tolerated under the guise of crowd control.”
The event has reignited discussion about the balance between maintaining public order and protecting individual freedoms. Legal experts note that “breach of the peace” powers were never intended to restrict peaceful religious expression. Instead, they are meant to prevent violence — not to silence potential victims.
As the investigation continues, the detained man — who has asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons — has become an unwilling symbol in a growing national debate. For many British Jews, the message is chilling: if simply wearing a Star of David can be deemed provocative, then visibility itself becomes a risk. The broader fear is that this moment will embolden extremists while forcing minorities into silence.
Britain has long prided itself on pluralism and tolerance. Yet this small act — the quiet wearing of an ancient symbol — now stands as a test of those values. Whether London reaffirms its commitment to equality or succumbs to intimidation will depend on how its leaders respond, not with words of regret, but with the courage to ensure that no faith group is ever told again that their identity is a threat.
Photo from Matt Hrkac: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_war_protests#/media/File:Palestine_Rally_End_The_Siege,_Stop_the_War_on_Gaza_(53264633371).jpg
