Two men have been arrested after a video of Jewish people being sprayed with water went viral.
The suspects – two men aged 26 and 36, who were arrested on Thursday in Farnworth, Bolton – are in custody for questioning on suspicion of racially aggravated common assault, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.
The force said it was made aware of the video being shared online, showing two men in a car, laughing and joking as they sprayed liquid from water pistols at visibly Jewish pedestrians.
As part of the investigation, officers have seized a vehicle believed to be the one seen in the footage, along with a water pistol suspected to have been used during the incident.
Chief Inspector Simon Ashcroft, of GMP’s Salford district, said: “We are treating this incident with the utmost seriousness and have acted swiftly to make arrests. GMP has a zero-tolerance approach to hate crime in any form, and we are committed to ensuring our communities feel safe and supported.
“We continue to work closely with our partners to provide reassurance and encourage anyone affected to come forward. We are also aware from other footage that there may be further victims, and we urge anyone who believes they have been targeted to contact GMP or the Community Security Trust (CST).”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 or report online via www.gmp.police.uk. In an emergency, dial 999.
The CST (Community Security Trust), a charity which looks after security for British Jews, said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter: “Following on from the appalling antisemitic videos, which were widely shared yesterday, two males have been arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated common assault.
“CST would like to thank @GMPolice for their support and swift action in this case.”
