London police probing suspected ‘religiously aggravated criminal damage’ after woman burns Israeli flag at Jewish student event

The London Metropolitan Police have opened an investigation into an altercation that broke out on Tuesday night when a woman set fire to an Israeli flag at a venue hosting an event for Jewish university students, a police spokesperson tells the UK’s Jewish News.

According to Israel advocacy group StandWithUs, some 250 students were in attendance at an “Israeli party” being held at a London venue, parts of which were still open to the public at the same time as the event was ongoing.

It says in a statement that “individuals who were not guests of the party began to shout ‘Free Palestine’ when they noticed the Israeli decorations at the venue.”

Despite being warned by venue management that they would be removed if they continued to interrupt, StandWithUs says that “one of these individuals approached the DK stand and began burning the Israeli flag with a lighter.”

Speaking to the Jewish News, the Metropolitan Police confirm that “an off-duty officer had detained a woman on suspicion of racially/religiously aggravated criminal damage.”

“The details of all involved were taken by the officers at the scene, who initially determined that no further action should be taken,” the police statement adds. “The circumstances have since been reviewed and a decision taken that the investigation will remain open so that the matter can be fully investigated.”