Tag: right to protest

National Threat Level increased to SEVERE following Golders Green attack and increasing threat of Islamist and Extreme Right Wing terrorism in the UK

The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) has today (30 April 2026) raised the UK National Threat Level from SUBSTANTIAL, meaning an attack is likely, to SEVERE, meaning an attack is highly likely in the next six months.  

The increase in threat comes following yesterday’s stabbing in Golders Green in North London, but it is not solely a result of that attack. The terrorist threat level in the UK has been rising for some time, driven by an increase in the broader Islamist and Extreme Right Wing terrorist threat from individuals and small groups based in the UK.

While the UK National Threat Level set independently by JTAC reflects the terrorist threat in the UK, it comes against a backdrop of increased state-linked physical threats which is encouraging acts of violence, including against the Jewish community. 

This is an independent, systematic, and rigorous process, based on the very latest intelligence and analysis of internal and external factors which drive the threat.

Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said: “Yesterday’s abhorrent, antisemitic attack was a vile act of terrorism.  

“My thoughts today remain with the victims, and with the whole Jewish community at a time of deep disquiet and fear.  

“My deepest thanks go to the volunteers and emergency services, a number of whom I met today. Their actions saved lives and they are, and forever will be, heroes.  

“Today, the national threat level has increased to “severe”, which means a terrorist attack is considered highly likely.  

“I know this will be a source of concern to many, particularly amongst our Jewish community, who have suffered so much.  

“The Government has today announced a significant increase in investment to protect our Jewish communities, with record funding for policing and security at synagogues, schools and community centres. And we will do everything in our power to rid society of the evil of antisemitism.  

“As the threat level rises, I urge everyone to be vigilant as they go about their daily lives, and report any concerns they have to the police.  

“And I can assure everyone that our world-class security services and the police are working day and night to keep our country safe.”

The UK was last at SEVERE in November 2021, following the Liverpool Women’s Hospital bombing and murder of Sir David Amess, before being lowered to SUBSTANTIAL in February 2022. 

In light of yesterday’s attack and a spate of vile antisemitic arson attacks in London, the Government is investing an additional £25 million funding to protect Jewish communities against horrific antisemitic attacks.  

This brings the total funding to £58 million this year – the largest investment a government has made in protecting Jewish communities in history.

This funding will go towards increasing police presence and patrols in communities, as well as added protective security in synagogues, schools, and community centres. 

 It will also be invested into the expansion of Project Servator, putting specialist and plain-clothes officers in the community who are trained to spot suspicious activity and identify individuals preparing to commit serious crimes. 

Legislation will also be fast tracked in the coming weeks to clamp down on individuals and groups carrying out hostile activity for foreign states, including those who act as their proxies. 
 
The Home Secretary will be given new proscription-like powers to ban the activities of state-backed organisations who pose a threat to the UK’s national security. It will give police and intelligence agencies stronger tools under the National Security Act to disrupt the activities of anyone acting on behalf of state-backed organisations.

More information about how the threat levels is set and what it means can be found by visiting the Security Service webpage

PM remarks from Downing Street on Golders Green attack: 30 April 2026

Yesterday, Britain’s Jewish community suffered yet another vile terrorist attack. Two men stabbed in broad daylight on the streets of Golders Green because they were Jews. I’ve just come back from Golders Green where I expressed my sadness and solidarity with that community but also my determination to act because the truth is this attack is not a one-off.

There have been a series of attacks including an arson attack in Hendon, an attack on the Jewish Ambulance Service Hatzola, the fireball at Kenton United Synagogue which I visited last week and on top of all this Heaton Park in Manchester last October where two Jewish men were killed in a vile Islamist attack on their synagogue. And so people are scared, scared to show who they are in their community, scared to go to synagogue and practise their religion, scared to go to university as a Jew, to send their children to school as a Jew, to tell their colleagues that they are Jewish, even to use our NHS. Nobody should live like that in Britain but Jews do.

And so yesterday this anxiety that is always there went to another place, to terror frankly. That is the right word. I want to thank the Jewish Security Services who wrestle with this every day and who alongside the police prevented a much greater tragedy yesterday.

I met some of the first responders today and on behalf of the country I thanked them for their bravery. We will strengthen the visible police presence in our Jewish communities. We will increase our investment in those Jewish Security Services.

We will introduce much stronger powers to shut down charities that promote antisemitic extremism. We will prevent hate preachers from entering our country, bar them from our campuses, our streets, our communities. Work with our justice system to speed up sentences on antisemitic attacks so there is a stronger deterrence factor as we do with riots.

And we need stronger powers to tackle the malign threat posed by states like Iran because we know for a fact that they want to harm British Jews which is why we will fast-track the necessary legislation. And yet the truth is while we can and we will bring the full power of the state to bear on this, this is about society every bit as much as it is about security. At moments like this we often say this is not Britain, that these attacks are an afront to British values, to British tolerance, British decency but they keep happening. 

And so today instead I will simply say that our values are not a gift handed down generation to generation. They are something we earn each day through action. They come from us.

Antisemitism is an old, old hatred. History shows that the roots are deep and if you turn away it grows back. Yet far too many people in this country diminish it.

They either don’t see it or they don’t want to see it. Take the marches that happen regularly across Britain. Of course we protect freedom of speech and peaceful protests 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. It is racism, extremely racism and it has left a minority community in this country scared, intimidated, wondering if they belong. So, I say again this government will do everything in our power to stamp this hatred out.

We will strengthen our security and protect our Jewish community, but I also call on everyone decent in this country to open their eyes to Jewish pain, Jewish suffering and Jewish fear. I call on everyone to come together and fight antisemitism and I call on everyone to fight for the decent, respectful, tolerant Britain that I and millions of people love so that our freedom and our values can still speak loud and true to a community that can no longer take it on faith. Thank you.

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