THE ALLEGATIONS
A source intimately involved in the Orthodox wedding scene, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “These illegal weddings have been going on for 10 months. We’re not talking about one or two. We are talking multiple weddings every day. All have 150-200 guests. At one wedding the bride was Covid-positive.”
THE VENUES
There are four venues that are used regularly, several sources confirmed – “anything that has a hall”. One is the taxpayer-funded Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls’ School in Stamford Hill. “It’s the one that was caught,” said one person.
The school’s long-time principal, Rabbi Avroham Pinter, died from Covid-19 last spring. The new principal is his son, Chaim, who became a director of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations in July last year.
BBC News
Published
media captionPolice released body-worn camera footage of people streaming from the premises
Two officers were injured as they broke up an incredibly selfish party, involving about 200 people, in one of London s most expensive neighbourhoods.
Officers investigated an address on Beauchamp Place, Kensington, at about 03.30 GMT on 17 January, following reports of a mass gathering.
Attendees became hostile and pushed through to avoid being fined, injuring two officers, police said.
No arrests were made.
image copyrightGoogle Street
image captionPolice discovered about 200 guests at a party on Beauchamp Place, Kensington
Supt Michael Walsh said: Attending or organising such parties during this critical period is an incredibly selfish decision to make.
BBC News
Published
image captionGuests fled when officers arrived at the Stamford Hill school, where the windows had been covered
Police broke up a wedding party in north London, where they now say about 150 people had gathered.
Officers found the windows at the Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls School, in Stamford Hill, had been covered when they arrived at 21:15 GMT on Thursday.
Guests fled from the strictly Orthodox Charedi Jewish school when the police arrived. The organisers face a £10,000 fine for breaking lockdown rules.
The Met originally claimed that about 400 guests were at the gathering.
In a statement, the school said its hall had been leased out.