YouTuber Faces Backlash for Antisemitic 'Jew Trap' Videos Targeting Jewish Communities
An online influencer has been accused of orchestrating a disturbing campaign of antisemitic content, specifically targeting Jewish communities in north London. Harry Marsh, who operates under the pseudonym Penofein, allegedly filmed a series of offensive stunts in the Stamford Hill area, amassing millions of views across various social media platforms.
Disturbing Incidents and Viral Content
In one particularly egregious video, Marsh throws loose change onto the pavement in a Stamford Hill suburb, referring to it as a 'Jew trap.' He then records unsuspecting members of the Jewish community as they pass by, monitoring whether they interact with the money. This short clip alone garnered an alarming 1.4 million views on YouTube.
Another video, titled 'Rizzing up Jewish women,' shows Marsh approaching a random Jewish woman and asking for her phone number. When she refuses, he pursues her while holding out pound coins, adding a layer of harassment to the encounter.
Pattern of Harassment and Public Reaction
Further videos depict Marsh 'taming Jews' by chasing a young boy with change in his hands, yelling 'Here boy,' and breaking into fits of laughter. His most popular video, with 17 million views, features him approaching an Orthodox Jewish man and asking, 'Excuse me sir, would you like a pound or should I double it and give it to the next person?' When the man accepts the money, Marsh walks away muttering, 'Well, well, well.'
In another instance, he pretends to be hungry and begs a man for a pound. After receiving change, Marsh thanks him with 'God bless you, sir,' but as he departs, he whispers under his breath, 'A Jew just gave me money, what kind of a f***** society are we living in?'
Social Media Platforms and Police Response
Chillingly, Marsh's videos targeting Jewish individuals appear to attract approximately ten times more views than his other content. While his Instagram and TikTok accounts have been deleted, his YouTube channel remained active at the time of publication.
His most recent video shows Marsh opening a Sussex Police order that bans him from filming in shops for twelve months. He tells his 40,000 YouTube subscribers, 'I got this community protection notice from the Sussex Police basically means I can’t film in shops for like 12 months. I don’t know, bro, they treat me like I’m Pablo Escobar, it’s outrageous.' He added that it doesn't affect him significantly since he's focusing on 'public interviews, public content.'
Anti-Racist Groups and Calls for Action
The videos were uncovered by media monitoring teams at volunteer anti-racist organizations. A spokesman for Campaign Against Antisemitism questioned why social media companies like YouTube and Instagram continue to host his content.
He stated, 'This user has built a following by subjecting Jewish people to antisemitic pranks. To our knowledge, he doesn’t live locally, so he literally travels to Jewish areas in order to racially abuse them and excite his deranged followers. It says a lot about our youth that this sort of behaviour engages them.'
The spokesman further criticized the authorities, noting, 'The police have prevented him from filming in commercial establishments, but they have brushed off complaints about his racist harassment of Jews. Even he has mocked the authorities by pointing out that street antics – aimed at Jews – is his main focus now anyway. Why is YouTube continuing to host him, and why have Sussex Police done nothing to address his conduct toward Jewish people?'
Meta and the Metropolitan Police have been approached for comment regarding these serious allegations.
