David Lammy booed and told ‘shame on you’ by attack vigil crowd

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy was met with boos and shouts of “shame on you” as he appeared at a vigil for victims of the Manchester synagogue attack.

The former foreign secretary was accused by some in the crowd of allowing antisemitism to increase during Labour’s time in government.

Lammy, who is also Justice Secretary, was also criticised for the government’s decision to recognise Palestine as a state by people who had come to show solidarity with those killed and injured at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall on Thursday.

Attacker Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, drove a car at the building and stabbed one man to death before armed police shot him dead.

Mr Lammy faced calls of “go to Palestine, leave us alone”, apparently in response to the government’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state.

Ahead of Mr Lammy’s speech, one man could be heard to shout: “My children’s school was closed today. You have allowed this to happen.

“You are all guilty. You have allowed Jew hatred in Manchester, on the streets. You are all guilty. We do not want you speaking here today.”

Another could be heard to shout “Empty words. We want action.”

As Mr Lammy began his speech with the word “friends”, there were scoffs and laughter from some in the crowd.

The Deputy Prime Minister told the crowd: “We stand in solidarity with the Jewish people, because an attack like this is never felt alone.

“Wherever you are in our country, Jewish people, our friends, our neighbours, our loved ones are terrified by the events of yesterday – of becoming targets, victims of antisemitic hate, simply for who they are.

“But I know this about Britain’s Jewish community, a community I have known all of my life: You are strong, you are resilient, and you will never be cowed, and that’s what I want you to know today – that our country, those of all colours, all faiths and none, stand with you.”

Uproar resumed in the vigil crowd as Mr Lammy said “that is why we stand in defiance of those terrorists who seek to divide us”.

There were shouts from attendees, and one man could be heard saying “you enabled it, every Saturday”, in reference to the regular pro-Palestine marches through London and other cities.

The Justice Secretary continued: “We cannot, must not, let them divide us – we must show them who we really are, not what they want us to become or to believe.”

Mr Lammy concluded his remarks by asking those who are planning pro-Gaza marches over the weekend to “reflect with all human dignity, grace and understanding” and to “stop and stand back”.

After he finished speaking, another person shouted: “They called for our death in the past. Walk past a university some day.”

Joanne Lazarus, 61, from Whitefield, Bury, shouted “shame on you” and “you’re embarrassing” at Mr Lammy as he spoke at the vigil.

She said she wanted the government to stop pro-Palestine marches.

She told the PA news agency: “I took the chance to make my voice heard. I can’t take these marches every single Saturday.

“I’ve been into town on a Saturday and have been told I’m a baby killer and to ‘go home’.

“That hatred is felt through the whole of the UK and through what happened here yesterday. I knew it would happen.”

Ms Lazarus, who attended the Heaton Park Shul when she was younger, said she did not think Mr Lammy would “care” about the response he received at the vigil.

The vigil had been organised following the deaths of Melvyn Cravitz and Adrian Daulby, who died during the attack.

Mr Cravitz, 66, is understood to have been stabbed to death by the attacker while 53-year-old Mr Daulby is understood to have been hit by a bullet fired by police as they attempted to shoot Al-Shamie.

Three other people were injured, including one also believed to have been struck by a police bullet.

Al-Shamie, who is understood to have come to the UK as a child from Syria in 2006, was shot dead at the scene.

A suspected explosive device he was wearing was found not to be viable, police said.