Golders Green attack suspect named as Essa Suleiman, 45
Vikram Dodd
The suspect arrested by police over the Golders Green stabbing attacks is Essa Suleiman, aged 45.
He was arrested by the Metropolitan police in the north west London suburb on Wednesday shortly after two Jewish men were stabbed, and is currently in custody.
He has not officially been named, but several new organisations, including The Guardian, have been aware of his identity.
Suleiman was born in February 1981, is of Somali heritage, and is understood to have come to Britain as a child.
He is described as a British national and the Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley says the suspect, whom he did not name, has a history of “serious violence” and mental health issues.
The incident is being treated as terrorism and police have been in discussions about the case with lawyers at the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorises criminal charges in England and Wales.
Key events
Asked about reports the suspect in the investigation had previously been referred to Prevent, Starmer says the programme was reviewed and changes were made after the Southport attacks.
After his statement, he was also asked whether he should say sorry after one of the victims of the double stabbing in Golders Green said he felt let down by the government.
The prime minister replied:
Can I start by saying I absolutely understand the high levels of anxiety and concern that there are, reflected in the various reactions over the last days. I completely understand. That anxiety has been there for a very long time, and the appalling terrorist attack yesterday made it worse.
He pointed to Government actions including Wednesday’s Cobra meeting and a roundtable with criminal justice agencies, enhanced funding for security.
“We’re looking at what further measures we can take on protests, particularly in relation to chants, to banners and the repeated nature of protests,” he said.
“We’re of course looking at what more needs to be done in health and education, and we will fast-track powers to deal with malign state actors. So there is a lot that is being done.
“Of course we need to do everything we can, but we do also need to ensure that this is something the whole country is prepared to call out, to see and to fight against.”
And that ends the press conference.
The prime minister says British values “are not a gift handed down generation-to-generation, but something we earn each day”.
Anti-semitism is an “old, old hatred”, Starmer says, adding that if you turn away, it grows back.
“It is racism, extreme racism and it has left a minority community in this country scared, intimidated and wondering if they belong,” he adds, referring to anti-semitic slogans and chants at marches.
He says:
Of course, we protect freedom of speech and peaceful protest in this country, but if you are marching with people wearing pictures of paragliders without calling it out, you are venerating the murder of Jews.
If you stand alongside people who say, ‘globalise the Intifada’, you are calling for terrorism against Jews, and people who use that phrase should be prosecuted.
Attack was not a one-off but part of a series of attacks, says Starmer
Keir Starmer is now speaking from No 10 and says that “the truth is this attack is not a one-off, there has been a series of attacks.”
He says people are scared to show who they are in their communities, to go to synagogues or send their Jewish children to school.
“Nobody should live like this in Great Britain but Jews do,” he says, adding that the community security services worked with police to prevent a “greater tragedy” yesterday.
The prime minister says the government will prevent hate preachers from entering the country, work with the justice system to speed up sentencing for anti-semitic attacks and use powers to tackle state-sponsored terrorism.
Keir Starmer is expected to address the nation from Downing Street in the next 15 minutes.
The prime minister will provide an update on the government’s response to the Golders Green terrorist attack.
Tory former prime minister Theresa May said she agreed with chief rabbi Ephraim Mirvis’s warning that “words of condemnation are no longer sufficient” after the north London double stabbing.
May wrote on X: “Yesterday’s attack in Golders Green, and the escalating attacks of recent months, have shown, beyond doubt, that we must do more to protect our Jewish community.
“Without its Jews, Britain would not be Britain. In the first instance we must now see better policing of marches which have created a dangerous atmosphere of intimidation and violence.”
Keir Starmer told Jewish people they belong in the UK in a social media post after visiting Golders Green.
The prime minister posted on X: “Yesterday’s terror attack wasn’t an isolated incident, it was the latest attack on the Jewish community for being Jewish.
“Today I spoke with volunteers, first responders from Shomrim and Hatzola to thank them for their bravery. I know that this is a deeply worrying time for the whole community.
“My Government is taking immediate action. We’ve increased enhanced funding for police patrols and protective security and we’re fast-tracking legislation to deal with malign state actors.
“My message to Jewish people is this: you belong here, and we will do everything we can to keep you safe.”
The prime minister told volunteers at a Jewish community ambulance centre in Golders Green how much he “appreciated” their response to the suspected terror attack, PA reports.
Speaking to the group at Hatzola, Keir Starmer said the attacks “could have been a lot worse” if it had not been for the work of the emergency personnel.
He added that he felt it was “really important” for him to come to Golders Green the day after the attack.
As the prime minister left the compound he was heckled by protesters organised by Stop the Hate, with one shouting that Starmer was a “traitor”.
Here are some images from the newswires of Keir Starmer in Golders Green this afternoon.
The prime minister faced chants of “Keir Starmer, Jew harmer” from protesters as he visited the area to meet emergency services who responded to the knife attack in north London yesterday.
Keir Starmer held a roundtable with first responders and leaders from Hatzola as well as Shomrim, a volunteer Jewish security group.
He was joined by home secretary Shabana Mahmood and Sarah Sackman, MP for Finchley and Golders Green, as well Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley.
Speaking to one of the volunteers, Mahmood said: “Keeping the community safe, running to towards risk is sadly necessary.”
Khan: ‘Jewish Londoners want to see more action, not words’
London mayor Sadiq Khan has said that “Jewish Londoners understandably and rightly want to see more action, not words.”
In a statement on social media, the London mayor said that the Metropolitan police has surged its policing presence in Barnet over the last four weeks, with plans in place to deploy additional policing over the next month.
He wrote:
I welcome this announcement and will be continuing discussions with ministers and the Met about the additional national funding required to deliver the long-term step-change in policing presence that Jewish Londoners expect and deserve.
The Met commissioner and I have set out a proposed new approach to the government. This would include: growing neighbourhood policing teams in areas with large Jewish populations; creating a new Community Policing Hub near the centre of the Jewish community in Barnet; and adding another investigative team to expedite hate crime investigations.
The approach would use the tactics that have been proven to work in other recent operations, including in the West End, where a surge in neighbourhood teams has resulted in a major reduction in crime.
Khan added:
As mayor, I’ll continue to work with the government, the police, Jewish community groups and others to take the robust action needed to protect Jewish Londoners. I will not rest until Jewish communities feel safe in our city once again, and I urge all Londoners to join this vital fight and speak up against antisemitic hatred.
Now more then ever our collective allyship is important. I urge Londoners to remain on their guard against those who are trying to exploit this attack to turn London’s communities against each other. We must all support our Jewish friends, neighbours and colleagues and not allow the forces of hatred to divide us.
Niaz Maleknia, 57, was one of the demonstrators protesting as Keir Starmer visited a Jewish community ambulance service following the Golders Green terrorist attack.
Speaking to the Press Association on Thursday afternoon, she said: “I can’t stand this man, so that’s why I’m here, because he has done nothing but stand in the way of Donald Trump and Israel.
“And the reason why this place is such a mess and we’re all getting attacked is because of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and he’s standing with them.
“So that’s why I’m here, because this man just needs waking up.”
Maleknia, who is Iranian-Jewish, said she wants the Government to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation and shut down the Iranian Embassy.
Keir Starmer heckled during Golders Green visit
Demonstrators heckled the prime minister as he arrived at a Jewish community ambulance centre in Golders Green on Thursday afternoon.
A group of around 100 people could be heard chanting “Keir Starmer, Jew harmer” and held posters with the same slogan.
They also chanted “Keir Starmer is a traitor” as well as “show your face”.
Starmer was due to meet with first responders from Hatzola Northwest, a volunteer group whose ambulances were targeted in an arson attack last month.
Dan Sabbagh
Jonathan Hall, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, has called for a pause in pro-Palestinian protests where “public demonisation and hatred is incubated” in response to the Golders Green stabbings, arguing that “demonisation of Jews and Israels and Zionists will lead to a terrorist attack”.
The barrister acknowledged that the motivation of the 45-year-old suspect had yet to be established, but said that he believed there was a “social responsibility” to reduce the risk of attacks on the Jewish community, and said that antisemitism represented “a national security emergency”.
In a statement, he said:
The starting point is the perpetrator, and to imagine what would have happened if the attack had been fatal (as it could have been), and how an inquest or public inquiry would approach the matter with the benefit of hindsight.
What was there in his profile that made the attack more likely? Was all relevant information shared between the relevant agencies? Were opportunities missed?
We wait an assessment to whether Iran commissioned or inspired this attack – but ultimately it takes a UK resident to carry out an attack, so this is a social responsibility too. How do we reduce the risk that such individuals will carry out attacks?
This is where antisemitism in the public and private domain comes in. I have spoken about a national security emergency and the risk, as I have warned about repeatedly, that demonisation of Jews and Israels and Zionists will lead to a terrorist attack.
Since the right to life is more important than the right to protest, it makes sense to consider a pause or moratorium of protests where public demonisation and hatred is incubated. We are talking about protecting British lives, and the life of the community.
Suspect was referred to Prevent in 2020
Vikram Dodd
The Metropolitan police has now confirmed the suspect in the Golders Green double stabbing was referred to Prevent, the official scheme trying to stop people becoming terrorists, in 2020.
The Guardian understands his case was closed within six weeks by the deradicalisation scheme, which has faced previous criticism.
The attack on Wednesday is being treated as terrorism by police who are investigating whether the suspect who is in custody was targeting people who were Jewish, in the north London area.
Police say a 45-year-old man was arrested at the scene, on suspicion of attempted murder.
In a statement counter-terrorism police said: “We can confirm the suspect was known to the Prevent programme and was subject to a Prevent referral in 2020, which was closed in the same year.
“Given the investigation remains ongoing, we will not be providing any further information in respect of this matter at this time and we remain focused on securing justice for the victims of this attack.”
The Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has said the suspect had a history of violence and mental health issues.
Suspect previously referred to Prevent counter-terrorism programme
The BBC has reported that the suspect in the Golders Green attack had been previously referred to the Prevent counter-terrorism programme.
The Guardian approached the Metropolitan police about the BBC’s report, but a spokesperson said it would not be commenting at this time.
The Met said yesterday that a 45-year-old man British national, who was born in Somalia, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Met commissioner Mark Rowley said the suspect has a history of mental health issues, drug use and convictions for violence.
Police officers are carrying out a search at an address in south east London, the Met said.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who visited Golders Green after the attack yesterday, said the community there does not feel the government is doing enough to protect Jewish people.
“You could feel the fear that was on the streets,” she told BBC Radio London.
Commenting on the government’s plans to invest a further £25m in extra policing and security for Jewish communities, Badenoch said: “We do need to see an increased police presence. The government has said it’s giving money – I don’t know exactly what the money is for, I don’t know if that money is enough.”
She added that the voluntary Jewish security group Shomrim has said “they have never had any money from government”. She said the volunteers are “having to look after themselves” and that it was “very lucky” that police officers were close to the attack.
Starmer: Golders Green attack was ‘not a one-off’
Keir Starmer said an attack on the Jewish community “is an attack on all of us”.
“What we saw last night was people being targeted because they are Jewish, I’m absolutely clear about that,” the prime minister said.
“There’s no getting away from the fact that this was not a one-off.
“This has been a series of attacks on our Jewish community, particularly in recent weeks, and there is a very deep sense of anxiety, of concern about security, about safety, about identity frankly.”
Describing the “visceral feeling” among many British Jews, he added: “We have to be really clear that an attack on our Jewish community is an attack on all of us and we have to approach it in that way.”
Starmer: Criminal justice response to Golders Green attack must be ‘swift, agile and visible’
Keir Starmer said the government and criminal justice system must respond to the suspected terrorist attack in Golders Green in “a swift, agile and visible way”, as he convened a meeting in Downing Street, PA reports.
Speaking ahead of the private meeting in Downing Street, the prime minister said:
Today is about part of the response which is really important, which is the criminal justice response, because a number of people have been arrested, a number of them go through the criminal justice system, and it’s really important that we are able collectively to demonstrate that the response will be swift and visible.
And that’s why I wanted to get you around the table today.
He continued:
I do think there’s a wider duty on all of us in terms of confidence in the criminal justice system to be able to deal with appalling attacks like this, to show that it can act in a swift, agile and visible way.
And I look forward to a discussion with you as to how we make that happen.
Attending the meeting are:
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Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley
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Home secretary Shabana Mahmood
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Deputy prime minister David Lammy
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Attorney general Richard Hermer
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Security minister Dan Jarvis
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Justice minister and Finchley and Golders Green MP, Sarah Sackman