Boy George has revealed he was at the scene of the terrifying Golders Green knife attack on Wednesday afternoon.
The Culture Club icon, 64, who has spoken in the past of his ties to Judaism through his manager Paul Kemsley, took to X to share a video from the scene, while revealing: ‘You could feel panic in the air’.
Horror engulfed the north London area shortly before lunchtime as Shloime Rand, 34, was stabbed in the chest, with the knife narrowly missing vital organs. Minutes later, Moshe Shine, 76, was stabbed in the neck at a bus stop 400 yards away.
The Daily Mail understands the suspect, a British national born in Somalia, was also known to the Government’s Prevent deradicalisation programme.
Boy George wrote on the site: ‘I was in Golders Green yesterday. I arrived just as the police presence was building. My heart goes out to the two Jewish victims and to their loved ones. We need to make our Jewish community know we support them…
‘Even before I knew what had happened I was in tears because you could feel panic in the air. These are just regular people getting [on] with their lives…
‘London has always been a great multicultural city. Our Jewish community brings us so much. They are an integral part of the fabric of this city.’
The attack has provoked outrage at the Government following a series of anti-Semitic attacks in the area, with furious locals chanting ‘Starmer out’ at the scene yesterday.
Meanwhile, Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis has demanded ‘meaningful action’ and Donald Trump’s anti-Semitism tsar said ‘enough is enough’ following the rampage.
Police bodycam footage released by Scotland Yard shows police arrested a man in Golders Green yesterday
The suspect stalked down Golders Green Road before allegedly stabbing two Jewish men
The Culture Club icon, 64, who has spoken in the past of his ties to Judaism through his manager Paul Kemsley, took to X to share a video from the scene
The 45-year-old suspect – who has a history of ‘serious violence and mental health issues’, Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley revealed – was eventually detained by Shomrim, a Jewish community security organisation, along with the police.
Graphic footage shows officers using a Taser to subdue him after he tried to stab them.
Alongside his post, Boy George added a link to 2006 hit Love Is A Losing Game by the late Amy Winehouse, who was Jewish, and cremated at Golders Green Crematorium in July 2011.
Last night, relatives of Mr Rand and friends of Mr Shine said the men were recovering in hospital and medical staff said they were stable.
Yet while the US administration has contacted joint US-UK citizen Mr Rand and was said to be briefing the President, his family said the British Government had not been in touch.
‘I’ve reached out to the UK Government myself, but still haven’t heard back from anyone,’ Mr Rand’s sister, who asked not to be named, told the Daily Mail, adding that her brother came one centimetre from death.
Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley was roundly heckled with boos and shouts of ‘resign’ and ‘shame on you’ at the scene yesterday.
Protesters chanted ‘Keir Starmer, Jew harmer’ and ‘shame on Sadiq Khan’.
It comes just a month after four Jewish community ambulances were torched a stone’s throw from yesterday’s stabbings in an attack linked to an Iran terror group.
On Monday there was an arson attack on a memorial to Iranian protesters a street away from the knifing, and last week there were further attacks against Jewish people in Slough and Watford.
Ambulances are seen behind a police cordon following the stabbings yesterday
Moshe Shine, 76, was one of two Jews stabbed in a north London terror attack on Wednesday morning
Boy George has revealed he was at the scene of the terrifying Golders Green knife attack on Wednesday afternoon
Jonathan Hall, the independent reviewer of terror legislation, warned that anti-Semitic attacks amounted to the ‘biggest national security emergency since Covid’.
Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch said: ‘Jewish people in our country are under constant attack. This is no longer a growing pattern.
‘There is an epidemic of violence against Jewish people.
‘It is now a national emergency and needs to be treated as such by the Government and public authorities.’
She added: ‘I’m not the head of the police, I’m not the Prime Minister, but I can see there are certain things that are fuelling this and we need to drain the swamp.’
The Jewish community demanded an end to hate marches that have become a regular sight in London and a ‘zero tolerance to any anti-Semitism’ on university campuses.
Outrage boiled over as political leaders put out predictable statements sharing ‘concerns,’ without any clear plan of action.
Sir Keir, who called a Cobra meeting yesterday, told the Commons: ‘It is deeply concerning to everyone in this House.
‘There is now a police investigation and I think we all need to do everything we can to support that investigation.’
Both victims remain in hospital in a stable condition, with a police probe into the terror-related incident ongoing
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He said he would visit the scene ‘as soon as possible’ and condemned the ‘appalling attack’.
In 2015, Boy George spoke of how he always had ‘father figures’ in his life – all of whom were Jewish – including Paul, who is his long-time manager and star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Speaking about Paul, he said: ‘We have become very good friends. He is a great north London Jewish boy. In some ways we had a similar journey. What we both agree on is that we love America because it’s a place for second chances…
‘I am [smitten with him], but not like that.’
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