‘Prankster’ social media influencers have been terrorising Orthodox Jews in Manchester, spraying them with a water pistol in a spate of attacks.
Two young men filmed themselves driving around and laughing as they sprayed adults and children wearing orthodox clothing. Their victims looked visibly distressed as they rushed away.
The self-proclaimed ‘prankster’ attackers have been branded cowards and 'playground bullies' – and it is not the first time they seemingly targeted Jewish people.
Previous videos show the men harassing Orthodox Jewish men in 'pranks' at airports and supermarkets.
In one clip, one of the influencers holds his phone near a Jewish man and plays an Apple Pay sound effect, before falsely claiming to have taken his money.
“You are very rich, I just got £60 from you,” he tells a Jewish holidaymaker at a Polish airport.
The videos have raked in nearly a million likes on Instagram – with several rat, pig and nose emojis filling the comment section.
The water pistol video has since been removed from Instagram but remains on TikTok.
The pranksters do not solely target Orthodox Jews – with other videos, some of which include water pistols, showing them target people from a range of ethnic backgrounds.
Earlier posts have since been edited following a backlash, with the influencers saying in a disclaimer: “This video was made purely for humorous purposes. It is just a joke and not hate speech in any way. Please do not take it the wrong way.”
Campaigners against anti-Semitism have demanded action against them.
A Campaign Against Antisemitism spokesperson 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.”
One of the creators told the Jewish Chronicle: “I honestly don’t understand the hate we’re getting right now. It was just a simple water gun prank using a small toy — nothing more.
"I have two other “Water Gun Prank” videos filmed with British people, and everyone was smiling, laughing, and the vibe was great.
"I don’t understand how this suddenly became labeled as hate speech. It’s not hate speech in any way — it’s just a normal human joke, nothing offensive or targeted.
"We do not accept being called hateful or being accused of spreading hate speech. That’s simply not true. We respect all people regardless of their race. There was absolutely nothing antisemitic about it, and we thank you for reaching out and showing interest thank you."
However, police have recorded the incident as a crime.
A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “We are aware of footage circulating online appearing to show occupants of a vehicle spraying water at members of the Jewish community.
“A crime has been recorded, with multiple lines of enquiry being actively investigated.
“We are working closely with partners to provide reassurance to the communities impacted, and we encourage anyone who has been targeted to contact us on 999, 101, or by reporting on our website.”
