LONDON — The calm of a British summer evening in London’s famous Hyde Park was violently interrupted Tuesday as a large group of men brandishing what appeared to be machetes and foot-long knives chased a young man across the green before stabbing and repeatedly striking him as horrified onlookers screamed in terror.
Footage of the incident circulated widely on social media, with several recordings appearing to show the victim being chased to the ground by the men, who are then seen punching his torso and kicking him in the head as nearby visitors shriek, “There’s a knife, there’s a knife,” while another asks in disbelief, “Did he get stabbed?”
The attack, which saw the teenage victim hospitalized with his injuries, has once again thrust Britain’s knife crime problem into the spotlight and reignited calls for the government and police force to do more to tackle the issue — which resulted in more than 46,000 offenses and 237 murders involving a knife or sharp instrument last year.
While latest data show that there was a 9 percent decrease in knife crime in England and Wales in 2020 compared with 2019, experts have largely attributed this to the nationwide lockdowns amid the coronavirus pandemic.
But as restrictions continue to ease, there is growing concern that crime will once again begin to rise — which appears to be the case in the United States, where numerous cities have reported double-digit increases in shootings and homicides.
#HydePark
— London 999 (@999London) June 1, 2021
Horrific moment the man is seen being chased by a group of youths brandishing foot-long knives before falling to the ground. pic.twitter.com/Q5rahsXKsL
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Wednesday that the attack was “cowardly” and “absolutely appalling.” He urged those who witnessed the stabbing to come forward. “There is no honor in staying silent,” he said.
Khan has long faced criticism and fluctuating approval ratings over the capital’s persistent knife crime epidemic, a threat Donald Trump frequently cited during his tenure as U.S. president, accusing Khan of doing a “terrible job” and saying at a pro-gun rally that stabbings in Britain had turned a London hospital into a “war zone” — although it was unclear which hospital he was referring to.
Despite rising ire over knife crime, Khan was still reelected for a second term as London mayor last month. He has pledged to increase police presence and defended his handling of the issue, telling local media that he had not been “complacent at all” when it came to the safety of Londoners.
In a targeted operation carried out in London between April 26 and May 2, almost 1,000 people were arrested and more than 400 knives were seized by officers. Despite the crackdowns, London has the highest rate of knife crime in England, according to the latest statistics.
Sprawling 350 acres and based in the heart of London, Hyde Park is one of the city’s four royal parks and is popular with both Britons and tourists.
On Tuesday evening, City of Westminster police said that officers remained at the scene of the crime and urged people with any information to come forward.
“We await an update on the victim’s injuries. At this early stage there have been no arrests and enquiries are ongoing,” the statement read.
On social media, many reacted to footage of Tuesday’s incident with shock, while others urged people not to share the disturbing scene, saying that it was disrespectful to the victim and his family.
“This violence needs to end” read one tweet. “Who is bringing machetes to the park? Where is the value for life?”
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