Proudly Jewish man reveals he was viciously attacked after halting duo spray-painting ‘genocide’ slur at Labour candidate

A “proudly Jewish” man says he was viciously assaulted after interrupting two anti-Israel activists who were spray-painting an antisemitic slur against a Labour Party by-election candidate, as he returned home from a night at the theatre.

Dan Levene, 52, told Jewish News he was kicked in the head and ribs by two men after disrupting their attempt to spray the slogan “Don’t Vote Sagal Abdi-Wali A Puppet Of The Genocidal Israeli Regime” onto the cobbles of Queens Square, central London.

Jewish News understands the Metropolitan Police have recorded both the assault and the criminal damage as an antisemitic hate crime.

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Describing the incident, Levene said: “I was walking home from the theatre on what was a lovely and quiet night, until I came across a couple of guys who were crouched on the ground.

“When I got closer, it became clear they were spray painting something. I turned to face the same way they were and read what their graffiti said.

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“They had a stencil, which had the wording, ‘Don’t Vote Sagal Abdi-Wali A Puppet Of The Genocidal Israeli Regime.'”

Levene, a communications consultant, said he reacted by kicking away the stencil in an attempt to stop the two men from completing their slur against the Labour candidate.

The pair, shocked at being interrupted, angrily demanded to know what Levene was doing.

He responded by suggesting their actions were comparable to those of “neo-Nazis.”

At that point, Levene says both men set upon him, with the heavier attacker repeatedly kicking at his legs to try to bring him down.

As Levene tried to get his mobile phone out to photograph the pair, he fell to the ground.

“At that point I had what felt like an 18-stone guy on top of me,” he recalled. “They were kicking the side of my head and also kicking and punching my ribs as well.”

Fortunately, as the assault continued, a woman and another bystander who had witnessed the attack ran out from a nearby pub to intervene.

Realising they had been spotted, the attackers fled.

Levene later posted a photograph of himself on X showing blood pouring from cuts on his head.

The Metropolitan Police contacted Levene online, confirming they wished to “discuss this incident with you further and take a full report.”

In a statement the Metropolitan Police have now confirmed to Jewish News they received an online report at around 23:50hrs on Tuesday, 6 October that a man in his 50s had been assaulted after challenging two men who were reported to be spraying graffiti in Queen Square, Holborn.

“The man reported minor injuries but did not require medical treatment,” added the statement.

“Officers have spoken to the victim and are working to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident, which at this time is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime.”

Abdi-Wali, Labour’s candidate in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election on Thursday, has repeatedly faced similar taunts from activists backing Green Party candidate Zack Polanski.

There is no suggestion Polanski or the party have officially sanctioned the stencil campaign undertaken by some activists.

Graffiti and stencilled slurs targeting her have also appeared elsewhere in the north London constituency.

Andrew Feinstein, who previously stood against Keir Starmer in the seat, but is now backing Polanski, also posted images on social media of “Vote For Genocide Vote Labour” ads at a bus stop in Camden.

Other graffiti elsewhere in borough has been daubed by anti-Labour activists openly attacking the party’s candidate .

Levene, who described himself as “proudly Jewish”, confirmed to Jewish News that he reported the incident, which took place at around 10:10 pm on Tuesday, to police.

He said the attack left him with bruises on several parts of his body and a cracked rib.

Levene believes the two men were Green Party supporters. “I think it’s Greens related,” he said. “The messaging was specifically directed at Sagal, and took place inside the constituency.

“It’s exactly the type of anti-Zionist message that the Greens have adopted as policy. There have been other instances of Green activists using this or similar stencilled messages during the by-election campaign.”

Levene, who said he is not party political himself, fears the attack was a consequence of the Greens’ shift toward a hardline anti-Zionist stance.

“It says to me the Green Party vote has really ratcheted up both the tolerance of anti-Zionism and, indeed, antisemitism,” he said. “It’s given people carte blanche to attack others, and specifically Jews.

“It is a worrying and scary time to be Jewish at the moment as a result.”

Anti-Labour activists have repeatedly tried to portray Abdi-Wali, who is Muslim, as being under the control of “Zionists.”

She was previously supportive of Keir Starmer, and pro-Palestinian activists have attempted to portray her as too soft on the issue.

Jewish News has contacted the Green Party for comment.