CST statement on synagogue shooting in Copenhagen

CST is deeply saddened by the news of a shooting at a synagogue in Copenhagen last night, following an attack on a free speech meeting in the same city earlier yesterday.

Our thoughts and sympathies are with the victims of these attacks and their families, and with the Danish Jewish community. We are in close contact with the Danish community and with the European Jewish communities' joint crisis centre and will continue to give them whatever support we can.

The news that a security guard was killed in the shooting at the synagogue is especially distressing for all at CST and we express our solidarity with everyone who helps to protect Jewish communities all over the world.

The guard was killed protecting his community. Approximately 80 people were inside the synagogue at the time of the shooting, celebrating a Bat Mitzvah. We are grateful for all the expressions of support for CST and for our volunteers that we have received or have seen on social media today.

The courage and dedication of our security volunteers is at the heart of everything CST does. Their safety is of the highest priority for CST and is constantly reviewed to ensure that we give them the most appropriate protection for their work.

The shootings in Copenhagen confirm the ongoing terrorist threat to European Jewish communities that was seen in Paris last month, in Brussels last year and in Toulouse in 2012. It is the reason why the UK Police altered its risk assessment for the UK Jewish community following the attacks in Paris and we have been in contact with Police today as part of our ongoing assessment of the risk that our communities face.

We ask everybody who is attending a Jewish building or event to cooperate with the instructions of the security officers and Police at this difficult time.