Met Police drop investigation into Oxford Street Chanukah bus attack
Exclusive: Police confirm they have closed probe into the November 2021 incident, in which men abused a bus carrying a group of young Jews, after they fail to identify the suspects
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
The Metropolitan Police have dropped their investigation into a antisemitic attack directed at Jewish passengers as they celebrated Chanukah on a bus in central London.
In a statement to Jewish News, the Met confirmed their probe into the incident, footage of which was widely shared on social media, has now been closed.
Police said decision had been taken in July to close the case after they failed to identify the identity of those seen in the videos shared online.
After launching three appeals for information on the identity of the men captured in the videos, police said the only names they were supplied were subsequently eliminated from their enquiries.
In a statement the Met confirmed: “On 29 November 2021, officers responded to calls about antisemitic abuse being directed at passengers on a private bus in Oxford Street by a group on the pavement outside.
“The bus left the scene of the incident to avoid further confrontation and officers met it nearby. The suspects had also left the area and could not be located.
“Video footage of the incident was shared on social media and we issued an appeal for anyone who recognised those involved to come forward. Two further appeals were issued which included photographs to help with identification.
“The only names provided in response to those appeals have been eliminated from our enquiries. The identity of those involved is still unknown.
“A decision was taken in July to close the case.
“Hate crime of any kind is unacceptable. Should new information come to light that provides a realistic line of enquiry, we will of course be willing to carry out further investigation.”
Following widespread media coverage of the incident, police issued images of three men, one of who was accused of spitting at the bus, while another appeared to make a Nazi salute.
Others were seen waving their shoes at the group – an insult in some Muslim countries.
The footage of the 29 November 2021 incident captured the attack from inside the bus.
In the video, people on board the bus can be heard saying “we are Jewish” and “we need to go”.
Reports at the time confirmed there were around 40 young Jewish people on the bus, which had been hired for the evening for the festival celebrations.
Following the incident Det Insp Kevin Eade said police were treating the incident as a hate crime.
He added: “This was a deeply upsetting incident for a community group who were celebrating the Jewish festival, Chanukah.
“There is no place in our city for hate crime.”
Prime Minister at the time Boris Johnson described the video as “disturbing”.
Nearly one year after the incident, police officers are believed to have struggled to find witnesses to help their investigation progress.
But after learning about the police decision to drop the probe, some communal leaders were said to be angry on Thursday, accusing the police of failing to pursue the case thoroughly enough.
At the time of the incident the Met Police said officers were deployed to investigate after the incident.
They met the bus in Grosvenor Place and spoke to the occupants.
Tamara Cohen, who was on the bus, said she did not hear anyone saying anything provocative to the group of men gathered outside the vehicle.
She described the group initially “standing around watching and making fun” of those on the bus.
Cohen added: “Then as it went on they started getting really aggressive, shouting and being abusive.
“We wanted to leave but couldn’t because of the traffic.
“That’s when they came up to the bus and started banging on the bus with their shoes, swearing and shouting at us and making gestures.
“It was all really intense.”
Cohen said she was disappointed by the police response.
Shneor Glitsenstein, director of the Chabad Israeli Centre Golders Green, who was on the bus with the young people, said earlier they had been attacked “for being Jewish.”
“Let me be clear: on Monday evening we were attacked on the streets of London for being Jewish and celebrating Chanukah,” he said.
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