In a disturbing incident highlighting rising antisemitism in London, a gang of teenagers attacked two Jewish school buses in Edgware, North London, forcing young students to hide under their seats in fear.
During the attack, ten teenagers targeted two Jewish school buses during a regular school route stop. Four attackers boarded one of the buses, where they verbally abused the students and filmed them. Other attackers threw rocks and garbage at the busses.
Notably (albeit not surprisingly), bystanders reportedly did not intervene.
"Everyone was completely terrified and hiding under our seats," a 12-year-old student told The Jewish Chronicle. "It was really scary. They had big heavy rocks."
The attackers reportedly shouted antisemitic abuse and anti-Israel statements at the students. Parents alerted police following the incident.
The Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors antisemitic incidents in Britain, is working with local authorities to address the situation. CST spokesperson Dave Rich confirmed they are supporting JFS (the Jewish school involved), engaging with the neighboring school, coordinating with local police and requesting enhanced security at bus stops.
This incident occurs amid alarming statistics showing dramatic increases in antisemitic hate crimes across Britain:
- 1,978 antisemitic incidents reported (January-June 2024)
- More than double compared to same period in 2023
- 1,037 incidents in Greater London alone
- Sharp rise in university-related incidents (96 vs 17 year-over-year)
The targeted school, JFS, has communicated with parents about the incident and noted that local schools have been "extremely cooperative" regarding previous incidents.
The Jewish Press contributed to this article.