Axe-wielding man made anti-Semitic threats near shul
Manchester police said the perpetrator was reportedly in a vehicle near a synagogue when he made the threats
A man carrying an axe made anti-Semitic threats to a group of Jews in a town near Manchester, on Rosh Hashanah.
The man reportedly was inside a vehicle close to a synagogue in the town of Prestwich, which has a sizeable Jewish community, when he made the threats on Oct. 3, according to The Manchester Evening News.
Police were called to the scene, and later the same day arrested a 45-year-old man suspected of possessing a weapon and committing a racially motivated public order crime.
The man was let out on bail until Oct. 31.
“This was unfortunately a very ugly incident and we are glad that the police response has been so speedy and correct,” said a spokesman for the Jewish group Community Security Trust, according to The Manchester Evening News.
Local police said the incident was still under investigation.
Prestwich is home to a thriving Jewish community, served by several kosher supermarkets, butchers and clothing shops catering to the modest standards of observant women.
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