See update at the end of the article.
The neighborhood watch group Shomrim NE London on Tuesday morning discovered a red-triangle alert sign featuring a silhouette of an orthodox Jewish man, some 200 yards from a synagogue in Stamford Hill, North London. The Shomrim reported the elaborate anti-Semitic prank to the Hackney Police.
According to STV News, shadow home secretary and MP for Hackney North, Diane Abbott, said the sign was “disgusting.”
⚡ ‘Beware of Jews’ sign found in Stamford Hillhttps://t.co/bJxrksBUM1
— Shomrim N.E. London (@Shomrim) March 15, 2017
Shormrim leader in Stamford Hill Barry Bard told the press it was the first time he had seen such a street sign, suggesting the fact that much planning and design work had been invested in making it may be cause for alarm.
“The people of Stamford Hill are very sadly used to instances of anti-Semitic hate crime, but most of those times it will be verbal abuse or even assault,” Bard commented, adding, “A lot of the time it will be more of a person-to-person kind of thing, or graffiti, which is more unprofessional.” However, in this case, he noted, “the person who planned [the sign] has obviously gone to an effort to cause alarm and distress to local people.”
Labour’s MP for Tottenham, David Lammy, said the incident amounted to “despicable, nasty behaviour that has absolutely no place in our community”.
Hackney Council is expected to remove the sign on Wednesday morning, STV News reported.
