Man charged after making alleged antisemitic gestures
The Crown Prosecution Service has decided to charge an offence of racially aggravated harassment in connection with an incident where a man allegedly repeatedly made antisemitic gestures and shouted abuse in a predominantly Jewish residential area on Thursday, 7 May.
Zakos Michael is due to appear at Highbury Magistrates’ Court at 10am on Saturday, 9 May 2026.
Lisa Ramsarran, Chief Crown Prosecutor for London North, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has charged Zakos Michael with racially aggravated harassment in connection with an incident where he was seen to have allegedly made antisemitic gestures and shouted abuse in a predominantly Jewish residential area on 7 May.
“Our team of out-of-hours prosecutors from CPS Direct worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring charges and it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.
“We have worked closely with the Metropolitan Police as it has carried out its investigation.
“Zakos Michael will appear at Highbury Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, 9 May 2026.
“We remind all concerned that proceedings against the defendant are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.
“It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in anyway prejudice these proceedings.”
Notes to editors
- Zakos Michael, [DOB: 01/07/1994], is of no fixed abode.
- He has been charged with:
- Racially aggravated intentional harassment
- The function of the CPS is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for a criminal court to consider.
- The CPS assessment of any case is not in any sense a finding of, or implication of, any guilt or criminal conduct. It is not a finding of fact, which can only be made by a court, but rather an assessment of what it might be possible to prove to a court, in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.