LONDON (AP) — Police were investigating Monday what they called a hate crime after a mosque was set on fire in an English coastal town.
The fire on Saturday night came two days after two men were killed when a knife-wielding assailant attacked their synagogue in Manchester on the holiest day of the Jewish year, in what authorities have called a terrorist assault. One of the victims was accidentally shot by an armed officer as he and other congregants barricaded the synagogue to block the attacker from entering.
Emergency services responded to reports of a fire at the Peacehaven Mosque at around 9:45 p.m. (2245 GMT) Saturday. The front entrance of the mosque and a vehicle parked outside were damaged, but no one was injured, according to Sussex Police.
Footage from the incident, released Sunday by police, shows two balaclava-clad people approach the front door of the mosque, before spraying accelerant on the entrance and igniting a fire.
Detective Inspector Gavin Patch said police were treating the fire as arson with intent to endanger life. Evidence from the scene suggested it was started deliberately, according to the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.
“This was an appalling and reckless attack which we know will have left many people feeling less safe,” Patch said.
There has been an increased police presence at the scene and other places of worship across Sussex, a region in southeastern England, to provide reassurance, the force said.
Political and religious leaders condemned the attack and urged people to stand united.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the attack was “deeply concerning.”
“This country’s greatest strength has been its ability to build one nation from many communities,” she said. “Attacks against Britain’s Muslims are attacks against all Britons and this country itself.”
“This hateful act does not represent our community or our town,” a spokesperson for Peacehaven mosque said. “Peacehaven has always been a place of kindness, respect, and mutual support, and we will continue to embody those values.”
Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, also condemned the attack, adding that “every faith community has the right to worship free from fear.”
The attacks come amid high tensions over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been held regularly across the U.K. since the start of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.
The protests have been overwhelmingly peaceful, but some people say they have allowed antisemitism to spread. Some Jews say they feel threatened by chants such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” A handful of pro-Palestinian protesters have been arrested for supporting Hamas, which is banned in the U.K.
On Saturday, about 1,000 people gathered in Trafalgar Square to protest against the banning of Palestine Action, a direct action group that has vandalized British military planes and targeted sites with links to the Israeli military. It has been labeled a terrorist organization by the government, making support for the group illegal.
A day later, hundreds of people waving Israeli and British flags rallied in London and Manchester to mark nearly two years since the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, demand the hostages’ release and mourn the victims of Thursday’s synagogue attack.
