Man, 22, arrested ahead of anti-Semitic demo in Golders Green on suspicion of inciting racial hatred

Joshua Bonehill (Image: Archant)

Officers from the Metropolitan Police joined colleagues from Avon and Somerset Police to arrest the man at a residential address in Yeovil, Somerset, this morning.

He has been taken to a central London police station where he remains in custody.

Officers from the Met’s public order branch are also working with Barnet officers to assess all intelligence about the demonstration scheduled to take place on July 4 and ensure appropriate policing is in place.

The protest has allegedly been orchestrated by Joshua Bonehill, who lives in Yeovil, but police refused to confirm whether it was Mr Bonehill who was arrested this morning.

The 22-year-old, who was also behind a similar rally in Stamford Hill, has allegedly been banned from entering the whole of London by Met officers investigating allegations of inciting racial hatred.

On his online blog, Mr Bonehill said that following the ban he had asked another far-right activist, Eddie Stampton, to take over the organisation of the Golders Green demonstration.

Mr Bonehill claims the planned demonstration is part of a “anti-Jewification initiative”.

He has also attacked the multifaith Golders Green Together group on his blog and said the Golders Green rally would feature a ritual burning of holy books and the destruction of Israeli flags.

Earlier this month, Finchley and Golders Green MP Mike Freer raised his concerns about the demonstration in parliament with David Cameron during Prime Minister’s Questions.

Mr Cameron warned that demonstrators would face the “full force of the law” if they display any “anti-Semitic hostility”.

Hampstead and Kilburn MP Tulip Siddiq tabled an early day motion in parliament on Monday praising the public activism in opposition to the planned rally which was signed by 46 MPs.