Overview

• Two men aged 26 and 36 remain in custody on suspicion of racially aggravated common assault after a video showed them spraying Orthodox Jewish pedestrians with water pistols.
• Greater Manchester Police have recorded the incident as a hate crime, seized the suspects’ vehicle and water pistol, and launched multiple lines of inquiry.
• Chief Inspector Simon Ashcroft emphasized GMP’s zero-tolerance approach to hate crimes and said officers are working with community partners to reassure those affected.
• Jewish advocacy groups have condemned the stunt as antisemitic harassment and are calling for the perpetrators’ prosecution and removal of remaining content from social platforms.
• The influencers had previously posted similar pranks targeting Orthodox Jews in public spaces, and while their original Instagram post was removed, clips are still circulating on TikTok.