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Met Refers Off-Duty Special Constable Over Al Jazeera Crew Intimidation After Golders Green Arson

The referral signals fresh scrutiny of police conduct during tense encounters with reporters.

Overview

  • The Met, which confirmed Thursday an off-duty special constable was involved, referred the case to its professional standards unit and said it will review footage for possible offences.
  • Video from Monday shows a crowd in Golders Green surrounding Al Jazeera journalists, with a man identified in reporting as Special Constable David Soffer using Arabic insults and telling a reporter to go back to Qatar.
  • Police said officers stepped in but accepted the journalists were left in a difficult situation that led them to leave the area, and stressed that reporters must work without intimidation or harassment.
  • The crew had been covering an arson that set four Hatzola ambulances ablaze at about 1:35am Monday, when gas canisters exploded, homes were evacuated, and windows at a nearby synagogue were blown out.
  • Two British men, aged 47 and 45, were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and later bailed until April as the hate-crime investigation continues.