On Monday, October 6, 2025, the quiet streets of Muswell Hill in North London became the latest stage for Britain’s deepening divisions over the legacy of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. As the world prepared to mark the two-year anniversary of that harrowing day, a young woman was filmed cutting down yellow ribbons from a fence near The Pocket Park—just yards from a local synagogue. The ribbons, tied by members of the Jewish community, symbolize the “Bring Them Home” campaign, a global call for the release of the 251 hostages still held in Gaza following the attacks that left around 1,200 people dead.
The incident, captured on video and swiftly circulated online, showed the woman—dressed in a navy blue bomber jacket and carrying a green, white, and purple striped tote bag—methodically snipping the memorial bands. When bystanders confronted her, she was unflinching. "The ribbons are condoning genocide," she declared, according to Daily Mail. She continued her task even as a crowd gathered, some pleading with her to stop, others accusing her of breaking the law. Unmoved, she retorted, "Call the police and then let them know that you have an issue with this." When a man called her a "disgusting little human being," she shot back, "I think condoning genocide is disgusting... yeah, because that's what this is."
By late afternoon, the Metropolitan Police were on the scene, reviewing footage to determine whether the woman’s actions constituted a hate crime or criminal damage. A spokesperson told Daily Mail, "At approximately 4.25pm on Monday, officers were made aware of a video circulating online which appears to show a woman removing ribbons from fence poles in Muswell Hill, Haringey. Officers have attended the location and are currently reviewing the footage to determine whether any offences, including hate crime or criminal damage, have been committed. Enquiries remain ongoing." Police also announced an increase in patrols throughout the Muswell Hill area, underscoring the heightened tensions gripping London’s Jewish communities.
The yellow ribbon, as a symbol, carries a poignant history. Its roots stretch back to women tying ribbons for loved ones away in the military or prison, and the gesture gained international recognition during the 1979 US-Iranian hostage crisis. In 2023, the tradition was revived as a visible plea for the release of hostages taken by Hamas during the attacks on Israel, particularly at the Nova Music Festival. The ribbons have since become a flashpoint in Britain’s culture wars, with some viewing them as an innocent act of solidarity and others, like the woman in Muswell Hill, interpreting them as a political provocation.
The timing of the incident could hardly have been more fraught. On the very next day, October 7, 2025, Britain joined the world in commemorating the second anniversary of the Hamas attacks—an event described by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer as “the worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust.” Writing in The Times, Sir Keir condemned any protests planned for the anniversary, calling them “un-British” and warning that they “show a lack of respect for others.” He added, “Pro-Palestine protests have been used by some as a despicable excuse to attack British Jews.”
Sir Keir’s message was clear: “Today we mark two years since the horrifying attacks on Israel by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023. Time does not diminish the evil we saw that day. The brutal, cold-blooded torture and murder of Jews in their own homes. And the taking of hostages, including British citizens, some of whom remain in Gaza today.” He went on to stress Britain’s commitment to the Jewish community, stating, “This country will always stand tall and united against those who wish harm and hatred upon Jewish communities.”
The Prime Minister’s words came in the shadow of another tragedy. Just four days earlier, on October 3, 2025, a terror attack outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester left two men—Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66—dead. The attack, which unfolded on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, shocked the nation and prompted Greater Manchester Police to pledge “every available resource” to the investigation. The suspect, Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, was reportedly on bail for rape charges at the time of the attack, raising uncomfortable questions about the criminal justice system’s ability to protect vulnerable communities.
In the days that followed, thousands gathered in Trafalgar Square for a solemn commemoration organized by the Board of Deputies of British Jews. The event was a show of unity, but it was also marked by anxiety. As Ben Freeman, Executive Director of the Pinsker Centre, wrote in LBC Opinion, “The two years since October 7 have revealed deep divisions in British society, and we now find ourselves at a critical juncture.” He described how, even as Jewish communities mourned, pro-Palestine demonstrations continued across the UK, sometimes devolving into what he called “hate marches.”
Freeman’s concerns were echoed by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who warned, “The same hatred that fuelled those barbaric attacks still festers today. We see it in the so-called ‘protests’ that turn into hate marches on our streets. We hear it in chants calling to ‘globalise the intifada’. And we saw it again, tragically, in the appalling terrorist attack on our Jewish community right here in Manchester just last week.”
Meanwhile, Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick branded university protests planned for the anniversary “a f****** disgrace,” urging those considering participation to “show some common decency.” Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood responded by pledging to amend the Public Order Act to give police greater powers to restrict repeat demonstrations, citing the “considerable fear” such events have caused within the Jewish community.
Not all voices in Britain agree on the path forward. Some activists argue that criticism of Israel’s government and its conduct in Gaza is legitimate and must be protected as free speech. Others, however, point to a surge in antisemitism and the destruction of memorials—like the yellow ribbons in Muswell Hill—as evidence that the line between protest and hate has been dangerously blurred. On October 6, police were also called to central London after a masked man, cheered by dozens, played Arabic songs glorifying Hamas while wearing a green headband resembling the group’s uniform. It reportedly took police almost 30 minutes to respond, and the suspect was released shortly after his arrest.
As the anniversary passed, calls for unity and action grew louder. “Two years is enough—Britain must act,” Freeman insisted, reflecting the mounting frustration of a community that feels increasingly vulnerable. For many British Jews, the yellow ribbons are not just symbols of distant suffering, but reminders of a struggle for safety and recognition at home.
In the end, the events in Muswell Hill and across the UK on the anniversary of October 7th have become a microcosm of a nation wrestling with its conscience. The debate over ribbons, protests, and remembrance is about far more than symbolism—it’s about the soul of Britain and the kind of society it aspires to be.
