Police arrest Hasmonean teens after ‘baying mob’ triggers Purim street chaos

The group ignored officers' orders to leave – and according to sources, one individual ignited a smoke bomb, while another threw a carton of juice into the crowd.

Video footage of the incident shows seven Metropolitan Police officers tackling boys to the pavement as a crowd of onlookers, many filming the scene, watched.

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: “Officers intervened in a number of disturbances, including fights. Flares were lit and put in the road, causing potential danger to road users and pedestrians. These were also thrown towards officers.

“A decision was taken to implement a section 35 dispersal order and several warnings were given to those in attendance to leave the area. Members of the community also tried to intervene and persuade those involved to leave.”

Police said, “A total of five males – aged between 14 and 18 – were arrested for offences including failing to comply with the dispersal order; assaulting an emergency services worker and public order. All five have been bailed pending further enquiries.”

The fracas erupted while tensions were high during the exuberant Purim festivities, with celebrations involving underage drinking.

Earlier on Thursday, the JC understands there had been another incident when allegedly there was an altercation between the driver of a car and boys dancing in the road.

They were just playing music, it was Purim

The next day, police said a separate incident had occurred on Bridge Lane, where there had been a Purim float. Officers arrested two males, aged 13 and 22, for possession of an offensive weapon. One was bailed and the other was released under investigation while enquiries continue. The Met did not give any further details.

A local resident told the JC that things "went from bad to worse" on Friday when police asked a group celebrating with music in the car park of Beth Shmuel Synagogue on Golders Green Road to turn off their speakers. “They were just playing music, it was Purim,” the local man said. Others said there were high levels of youth intoxication.

During a separate incident a Purim float – which was escorted by police from Friday morning – arrived outside pizza shop Slice in Golders Green at around 2pm. As the boys on the parked float celebrated, near the vehicle a Community Security Trust (CST) volunteer spotted a suspicious package.

One witness said the bag was marked with a local rabbi’s name. It prompted an interruption to the festivities, and the music was turned off – but the bag turned out to contain mishloach manot (Purim gifts).

In response, a local teen said: “All of the boys were getting a bit rowdy and upset because the whole thing had been ruined. We spent all this money on the float and the whole thing was ruined. After the music was stopped, one boy [lit] a smoke bomb and people started dancing.”

He reported that the group were asked to go home by the CST – but the charity denied these claims. They said: “CST security personnel saw an untended bag and took steps to ensure the safety of over 30 children on a nearby float while the bag was checked by police.”

Another local man, who did not want to be named, recounted a separate encounter with police while walking to shul on Friday with his five sons, aged three to 16. He described how a police van pulled over, and an officer jumped out "as if something massive was happening.

"I continued walking, but he caught up with me in the synagogue courtyard and said, 'I just want to have a chat with you. You're not allowed to be drinking on the street.'

"I said, 'Did you see me drinking on the street?'" The man admitted he had been "a little bit tipsy" but insisted he was not drunk. "I was holding a bottle of wine, but the cork was still in it... It wasn't as if I was rolling around on the floor. I do not ever get very drunk. I was drunk enough not to drive to shul which I normally do."

Two of his youngest children began to cry as he told the officer, "I was not doing anything wrong...' It was a minute before Shabbos, and I wanted to get to shul. The rabbi of my shul happened to be standing at the door, and he saw the officer. He told him, 'Don't worry about it, it's only one day.'"

The man added, "On the one day a year we are allowed to be merry, they are looking to spoil it.

"It is disgusting because they [the Met] wouldn’t do this to any other community," he claimed.

Another local noted that rumours circulated ahead of the festival that the police would be "heavy-handed". "Everyone thought it was a Purim joke," he added.

The Met, which usually meet community representatives to discuss security before Purim, said: “Our local police teams continue to have positive relationships with many representatives from the Jewish community and we will continue to engage, listen to any concerns, and factor these into how we police the local area.”

Several meetings took place with various communal groups ahead of this year’s celebrations, including a conversation with Shomrim, according to the Met. But one trustee of the Charedi security charity claimed there was not the usual large meeting with the force.

A small minority chose to engage in criminal behaviour

The Met said: “Following consultation with various groups from the Jewish community across several meetings, a policing plan was put in place for the period around Purim celebrations in the Golders Green area. Large numbers of people were able to enjoy these celebrations but a small minority, predominantly young people, chose to engage in criminal behaviour.

“Where possible we will seek alternatives to arresting people, and officers did so on various occasions by escorting young people away from potential harm. However, where people are put at risk, engage in antisocial behaviour or do not engage with instructions given to them by police, officers will look to detain them to protect the wider community.”

The Purim incidents have highlighted some disagreements between sections of the strictly Orthodox community and the CST.

Sheldon Bodner, a Shomrim trustee and volunteer, accused the CST of being "extremely heavy-handed".

He added: "The police brought in officers from other boroughs because they knew it was a big night. They did a fantastic job and tried to keep a low profile, but the CST wound them [the police] up and told them who to arrest and stop. They need to relax and calm down.”

CST strongly denied these claims. A spokesperson stated: "CST was not in any way responsible for the arrests of five Jewish teenagers in Golders Green on Purim. Any suggestion of CST involvement in those arrests is totally false and wrong. A local CST representative attended the scene after the trouble that led to the arrests had already started. He tried to calm tempers and, in doing so, may well have prevented further arrests."

When asked about the arrests, a spokesperson for Hasmonean Boys School commented: "We are aware that on Thursday, March 13, 2025, around 9pm, there was a large group of teenagers (150-200) celebrating Purim in Golders Green. We understand that some were arrested. Investigations are ongoing, and we await further details about who was involved."

Bodner defended the arrested young men. "A smoke bomb is not illegal. A lot of things that happened were not illegal. As a Jewish community, we see what goes on in London – how these [anti-Israel] marches happen and nothing ever gets done – and then, for one day a year when we let go on Purim, the police are so heavy-handed."

He said Shomrim had worked through the night to secure the release of the five boys.