Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has been booed and heckled off stage by an angry crowd in Crumpsall, Manchester, as locals shouted “shame on you” during his address following Thursday’s synagogue terror attack.
The Deputy Prime Minister faced hostile reception from the crowd on Friday as he attempted to deliver a statement in the area where two people were killed in a terror attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue just 24 hours earlier.
One person in the crowd shouted at Mr Lammy: “You caused this,” as he made his address, leading to multiple interruptions during his speech that ultimately forced him to leave after being heckled off.
Despite the hostile reception, the Deputy Prime Minister attempted to deliver his message, stating: “We cannot, we must not let them divide us. We must show them who we really are. Not what they want us to become or believe, but Britain’s true nature.”
The crowd’s anger appeared to be directed at the government’s handling of community tensions and recent policies, with multiple voices shouting “shame on you” as Lammy tried to continue his remarks.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham spoke to the crowd after Mr Lammy’s departure, attempting to refocus attention on the tragedy, saying: “This was an appalling anti-semitic attack on our Jewish friends and neighbours.”
The extraordinary scenes come as Manchester remains in shock following Thursday morning’s attack, in which Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, drove into worshippers outside the synagogue during Yom Kippur before attacking victims with a knife. Two men, Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, were killed in the attack, with three others remaining in serious condition.
Lammy had travelled to Manchester in his capacity as Deputy Prime Minister to declare the incident a Major Incident under the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, activating additional support for victims and their families.
The hostile reception marks an unprecedented moment of public anger directed at a senior government minister visiting the scene of a terror attack, highlighting the deep divisions and tensions within British communities following the tragedy.
The Deputy Prime Minister’s office has not yet responded to requests for comment about the incident.
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Image Credit:
David Lammy — official portrait (cropped), licensed under CC BY 4.0
