LONDON: An Al Jazeera camera crew was surrounded and heckled by residents in the north London neighborhood of Golders Green on Monday after arriving to film the aftermath of an arson attack on Jewish ambulances, with police intervening to manage the tense standoff.
Videos circulating online show locals surrounding the news crew, shouting “No one wants Al Jazeera here” and “go home.”
Chants of “Al Jazeera off our streets” and “go back to Qatar” rang out, with some accusing the journalists of bias.
One resident told the crew they were not welcome; the reporter replied: “You don’t decide when I stay or when I leave.”
The confrontation escalated. Video footage posted online showed one individual directing Arabic-language racial slurs at the journalists: “Get out of here, you donkey, you dog.”
Residents also told attending police officers they felt unsafe and feared footage could be passed to “terrorists.”
The officer acknowledged their concerns but made clear he would not be “removing them from the street.” Police eventually stepped in and the crew departed.
A group of jews confronted the Aljazeera crew in Golders Green.
Called them monkeys and dogs.Then told police they felt unsafe and alleged the news would go to 'terrorists'.
The officer's reply: 'I understand'Not the West Bank. This is Britain. pic.twitter.com/PmP041dSpE
— Dr Rahmeh Aladwan (@doctor_rahmeh) March 23, 2026
The confrontation occurred after four ambulances belonging to Jewish volunteer service Hatzola Northwest were deliberately set alight in the early hours of Monday, outside the Machzike Hadath Synagogue on Highfield Road.
CCTV footage captured three hooded suspects approaching the vehicles and igniting them before fleeing the scene.
Security agencies said on Monday they were investigating whether a group linked to Iran was behind the attack, and were working to authenticate a claim of responsibility by a group known as Harakat Ashab Al-Yamin Al-Islamia.
Security sources, however, cautioned against prematurely tying Iran to the incident, leaving open the possibility of an antisemitic attack with no link to any organized group.
The incident reflects the charged atmosphere that has surrounded media coverage of events involving Jewish and Muslim communities in Britain since the Oct. 7 attacks, and the deepening questions about press access and public trust in an increasingly polarized climate.
Users online have also called on the Metropolitan Police to launch an investigation into the incident, describing the scenes as “totally unacceptable” and urging authorities to guarantee the safety of the press.
