Influencers arrested after ‘targeting Orthodox Jews in water pistol attacks’

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have arrested two men who allegedly filmed themselves spraying Orthodox Jews with a water pistol from a moving car.

The men, aged 26 and 36, are being held on suspicion of racially aggravated common assault.

A vehicle, which the police believe to have been the one used in the footage, alongside the water pistol, has also been seized.

A video widely shared on social media appeared to show two men driving around in a car as they sprayed adults and children dressed in orthodox clothing with an unidentified liquid. Footage was posted on Instagram and accompanied by the Jewish folk song Hava Nagila.

The video attracted scores of anti-Semitic comments, with one comparing the liquid to “antiseptic” and asking: “What about a gas prank?”

At the time of the attack, a spokesman for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “These men are behaving like playground bullies.

“Targeting Jewish people for harassment is not a prank but anti-Semitic abuse, and doing so from the comfort of your car is particularly cowardly. We are also aware that this is not the first time that one of these men has targeted Jews for videos on social media.  Our legal team is examining the footage and assessing options. Those responsible must be identified and held to account.”

Yesterday: Kamil Galanty, a kickboxer of Polish descent, and a man known as Mati, were tagged in the videos, taken in Broughton Park, Manchester, and are said to have a strong resemblance to the men responsible for the harassment.

The water pistol video was eventually removed from Instagram after three days, but remains on Mati’s TikTok profile.

The men behind the water pistol video previously uploaded videos singling out Orthodox Jewish men for pranks in airports and supermarkets.