Deputy PM David Lammy was heckled and booed as he was introduced to speak at a vigil for the Manchester terror attack victims
Deputy PM David Lammy was heckled and booed as he was introduced to speak at a vigil for the Manchester terror attack victims.
Crowd members could be heard shouting at him during his speech, the Manchester Evening News reports. As he took to the stage he faced calls of “shame on you”, “go to Palestine, leave us alone”, “you’ve allowed it to grow on the campuses” and “you have blood on your hands”.
The Deputy PM urged people not to take part in demonstrations over the weekend, saying: “For those who are considering marching over the weekend, I ask them to reflect with all human dignity… to stop and stand back.”
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Two worshippers, Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, died after terrorist Jihad Al-Shamie targeted the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on Thursday. One of the victims died as a result of gunshot wounds after armed police opened fire, it emerged on Friday morning.
Earlier Keir Starmer said: “This was a dreadful attack, a terrorist attack to inflict fear. Attacking Jews because they are Jews. It’s really important today that the whole country comes together, people of all faiths and no faith, stand in support and solidarity with our Jewish community, and I know that your work will help to that end.”
The Prime Minister added: “We must defeat antisemitism, and that is the responsibility of all of us. It is the responsibility of Government and we will rise to that challenge and do all that we can to absolutely ensure that our Jewish community is safe and secure, and that we show them the strength of the support and solidarity that we have for them.
“That will be massively helped by what you have already done, what you’re continuing to do.”
He said that without police intervention, the consequences of the attack would have been “even worse”. Brave worshippers barricaded themselves inside and kept the killer – who was shot dead by armed officers – at bay.
The PM stated: “I am absolutely clear in my mind of the professionalism of the response, the speed of the response, and also that an absolutely awful incident would have been even worse if it hadn’t been for your response.
“So thank you is a really important two words at a time like this, and I say thank you to each and every one of you, and through you to all the other people that were there responding yesterday and ask that to be passed on to all of those.”