Police are investigating a suspected arson attack at a memorial wall in north London.
Scotland Yard said the investigation was being led by counter-terrorism policing, but it was not being treated as a terrorist incident. No arrests have yet been made and the memorial wall was not damaged.
The memorial wall is a tribute to thousands of protesters killed in a crackdown in Iran in January, and is near a Jewish centre. Ali Vahedi, a volunteer from the Miga Rally community group that set up the memorial and organises security to watch the wall, said: “Last week a drone was here, people come and throw things like tomatoes and now last night, after this fire happened, it is getting more dangerous. We started security here three months ago because we did not feel safe.”
At first police thought the fire had been started by a candle, but CCTV footage showed a person using a liquid to try to start a blaze. Vahedi said: “The fire started from the end of the table and it spread everywhere. We are lucky someone saw the fire and stopped it. Now we have the same feeling as the Jewish community. We are not safe.”
Over the past month, counter-terrorism officers have arrested more than two dozen people as part of investigations into attacks on Jewish-linked premises, including the torching of ambulances belonging to the Jewish volunteer emergency service Hatzola in Golders Green on 23 March.
The Metropolitan police said the suspected arson attack on the memorial wall took place at around 12.15am on Monday and was reported just before 7.30pm that day. “We recognise that this incident will heighten concerns in the Golders Green area, where residents have already faced a series of attacks,” Det Ch Supt Luke Williams said.
“We are working closely with community organisations and leaders, and want to reassure them that our protective security operation continues.”
Local officers were working with counter-terror policing on the investigation, he said.
“Since last month’s attack in Golders Green, we have stepped up our work to reassure communities,” he added. “This includes armed police patrols as well as deployments of officers from Project Servator, who are specially trained to spot anyone who may be planning or preparing to commit criminal acts.”
A group calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right (Hayi), has claimed responsibility for the series of arson attacks on Jewish sites in north London, as well as an incident in which drones were flown near the Israeli embassy.
Two men arrested under terrorism laws over the embassy incident had since been released from police custody, the Met said.
Commander Helen Flanagan, the head of counter-terrorism policing London, said: “Although these two men have been released from custody, our investigation into this incident continues.
“We appreciate the community remains very concerned about this and other incidents that have targeted Jewish, Israeli or Iranian sites over recent weeks. We have made a total of 26 arrests across our various investigations and we continue to work to identify anyone who may have been involved.”
Of the 26 people arrested, eight have been charged and one convicted.
