Jewish man 'attacked by activists when he tried to stop them graffitiing' - as police launch anti-Semitic hate crime probe

Published: 04:56 EDT, 8 October 2026 | Updated: 05:00 EDT, 8 October 2026 A Jewish man has told of being attacked when trying to stop activists posting allegedly anti-Semitic graffiti.The Metropolitan Police is now investigating after Dan Levene, 52, suffered head wounds and a suspected broken rib in north London.The alleged attack came ahead of the by-election being held on Thursday for Holborn and St Pancras, the seat now vacated by former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Camden Council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali is favourite to win despite a challenge from the Green Party's leader Zack Polanski.Former football journalist and communications consultant Mr Levene shared online how he was targeted after confronting two people he said were 'trying to spray paint a stencil calling [Ms Abdi-Wali] a "puppet of genocidal Israel" and I objected'.He shared a picture showing his head wound, accompanied by the words: 'Jewish man physically attacked just now, by neo-Nazis on the streets of Holborn & St Pancras.'Later updates on X included that he had a suspected cracked rib and 'bruises as you'd expect after being kicked around the pavement'.He also praised how 'two amazing members of the British public intervened to help' but told of being 'very angry this has happened' while blaming what he described as Green Party supporters. The Metropolitan Police is now investigating after Dan Levene (pictured), 52, suffered head wounds and a suspected broken rib in Holborn in LondonThe incident happened the day before the third anniversary of Hamas's October 7 terror attacks on Israel killing almost 1,200 people and which has been followed by a military response involving an estimated 77,000 deaths in Gaza. Mr Levene described how the attack lasted for about 20 seconds after he challenged the two people spraying the graffiti and was kicked and punched in response.One of the attackers kicked him to the ground after Mr Levene took out his mobile phone to try to photograph the vandalism in Queen Square, Holborn, near Great Ormond Street Hospital.He told the Times: 'It was a thoroughly unpleasant experience and, sadly, it really does reflect what I think a lot of Jewish people see as a massively rising tide of antisemitism in the country at the moment.'He told of having 'side-footed' away an A4 cardboard stencil the masked men were using to post their message. Mr Levene said: 'I frankly did not want to see antisemitic graffiti in London squares that I have quite an emotional connection with.'He described saying, 'No, you're not doing that' and telling his antagonists that what they were writing was 'neo-Nazi'.Mr Levene added: 'All this stuff about genocide and Israelis exerting puppetry control over people. This is the message of the Nazis that Jewish people escaped in the middle of the last century.'A Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'Police received an online report at around 11.50pm on Tuesday, October 6 that a man in his fifties had been assaulted after challenging two men who were reported to be spraying graffiti in Queen Square, Holborn.'The man reported minor injuries but did not require medical treatment.'Officers have spoken to the victim and are working to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident, which at this time is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime. No arrests have been made at this time.'The Green Party has faced criticism including from Sir Tony Blair in the wake of last Sunday's vote at their party conference in Brighton declaring that 'Zionism is racism'.They have been dubbed 'an extremist party' and the motion branded an 'attack' on British Jews, with the Greens reported to both the police and the UK's equalities watchdog over events at their South Coast conference. In a statement issued on Monday night, Mr Polanski, who is Jewish, said his party would 'not accept any exclusion' of people based on religion.He added: 'As leader I will not accept any exclusion, or refusal to engage with anyone, because of the religious or communal body they are part of.'I take seriously my responsibility to make sure everyone feels safe and welcome in our party.'Under my leadership, no one will be made unwelcome because of their background, their faith or where they worship.'