Police respond to another ‘suspicious package’ sent to parliament
Police have been called to Westminster after a suspicious package was delivered to an MP. The delivery comes just days after parcels and ‘Punish a Muslim Day’ letters were sent to Muslim Labour MPs.
A Metropolitan police statement said officers were called to Westminster just before 10.15am on Thursday after reports of the suspicious package. Police said a substance inside the package was found to not be hazardous.
“Specialist officers are on scene and the package is being assessed,” it said. “London ambulance service is on the scene. A woman is being assessed as a precaution. Inquiries continue.”
It is unclear at this stage whether the package is linked to packages received by four Muslim Labour MPs in the past few days. A staff member for Ealing Central and Acton MP, Rupa Huq, was taken to hospital as a precaution after opening post containing an “irritant substance,” while the parliamentary office of Manchester Gorton’s MP, Afzhal Khan, was evacuated after he was sent a suspect package.
Two people were also taken to hospital as police assessed a package sent to the office of Mohammad Yasin, MP for Bedford and Kempston, on Monday. His colleague Rushanara Ali, MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, said she opened a “threatening letter” on Monday calling for attacks on Muslims.
According to reports, police are concerned the incident may be linked to a number of letters sent to households across the country urging them to get involved in “Punish A Muslim Day."
Counter-terror police announced they were investigating the A4 letters, which encouraged the public to carry out “horrific” acts of violence against Muslims on April 3. The letters include a points system of Islamophobic actions and each of their "rewards." The sickening point-scoring system ranges from 10 points if you “verbally abuse a Muslim” to 2,500 points if you “nuke Mecca.”
The messages were also sent to households across London, Yorkshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.
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