Declassified UK: Exclusive: Man filmed in Al -Jazeera ‘intimidation’ mob is Met police officer

I wanted to write to you about this important revelation I broke today for Declassified UK.

Declassified has identified the man at the front of a mob that intimidated Palestinian journalists in London on Monday and told them to “go home”.

It turns out, he is a serving Metropolitan Police officer, David Soffer.

Footage shows Soffer directly approaching one of the Al Jazeerajournalists, who is Palestinian, calling him a “dog” and a “donkey” in Arabic.

“Go back to Qatar,” he is heard saying. “Get out of here, you donkey.”

Declassified understands that Soffer has now been referred to the Metropolitan Police’s professional standards directorate, after we presented our findings to the force.

He now faces the possibility of disciplinary action – and has already deleted the police role from his LinkedIn account.

But police have not confirmed whether he will also face criminal charges.

The incident happened in the Golders Green area of London on Monday, as Al Jazeera tried to report on the arson attack on Jewish charity ambulances.

Police are treating the arson attack as an antisemitic hate crime, with CCTV showing people setting the vehicles on fire and running away.

Two British men were arrested on Wednesday and later released on bail while an investigation continues.

Later, footage of a group of men surrounding and intimidating an Al Jazeera film crew near the scene sparked outrage on social media.

Soffer – who also runs a reputation management firm according to records filed at Companies House – is seen making his way to the centre of the mob and insulting the cameraman.

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In solidarity,

Martin

Martin Williams

Head of Investigations
Declassified UK

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