The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The last few weeks have been incredibly difficult for many Londoners, particularly those with family and friends in Israel and Gaza. We have all

watched in absolute horror at the killing and suffering in Israel and Palestine and the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

“There are clearly differing, passionate views within our communities, but we must not let events overseas lead to hate and division in our city. 

“Over recent weeks we’ve seen an appalling rise in Islamophobia and antisemitism. As Mayor I’m determined to stamp out hate crime in our city - not only by ensuring the police take a zero-tolerance approach to these crimes, but by continuing to fund and support community-led groups to challenge hate. 

“In London, we have invested almost £11m to help tackle hate and extremism, and today I’m meeting hundreds of young people and community leaders funded through my £3 million Shared Endeavour fund, which is working to empower thousands of Londoners to stand up to hate and intolerance.” Photo by DAVID HOLT from London, England, Wikimedia commons.