Woman Wearing Charlie Hebdo T-Shirt Stabbed At London Park In Broad Daylight

A woman was attacked with a knife in broad daylight at a section of Hyde Park in London known as a venue for demonstrations specially protected as a “free speech” zone. The 39-year old victim was wearing a Charlie Hebdo T-shirt. Thankfully she survived the horrific broad daylight attack.

The Daily Mail reports she suffered multiple stab wounds after a masked attacker started slashing at her. Blood was seen pouring down her face as the assailant fled, with Westminster Metropolitan Police later seeking the public’s help in identifying the black-clad attacker. 

Woman wearing a Charlie Hebdo T-shirt has been stabbed at Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park

So we’ve got a teacher in hiding fearing for his life and people being stabbed on the streets pic.twitter.com/noj9mMKVf4

— Jamie Rightly 🇬🇧 (@JamieRightly) July 25, 2021

Police later described it as a “minor slash injury” for which she was treated at the scene and then transported to the hospital. The shocking attack was caught on multiple cell phone videos, and members of the public reportedly gave chase but the assailant got away.

According to one local media report, the woman appears to be well-known for street preaching and ministry activities geared toward a Muslim audience, which points to a likely or even obvious motive in the attack, though police have yet to name one.

“Speakers’ Corner is a historic place for open-air debate where people are allowed to make speeches on any lawful subject,” the report said of the Sunday attack. “Police did not identify the victim by name but social media said she was Hatun Tash, a preacher from a group called DCCI Ministries that says it seeks to preach the Christian Gospel to Muslims. Detectives said they had recovered a knife at the scene and the victim gave an account of what happened.”

Police issued the following statement: “We know that this assault was witnessed by a number of people, many of whom captured it on their phones. I would ask them, if they have not already done so, to contact [the] police.”

Her identity was later widely confirmed on social media as indeed being Hatun Tash.

Christian preacher Hatun Tash has been stabbed in Speaker’s Corner. She is a prominent critic of Islam. We must defend freedom of speech and expression in the UK, and not cede the public square to those who wish to censor us intimidate us. pic.twitter.com/Z8aMo1UnP6

— Adrian Hilton (@Adrian_Hilton) July 25, 2021

Close-up video of the moments leading up to the attack showed a group of Christians and Muslims holding an intense, but peaceful, debate before chaos erupted due to the stabbing attack…

A Christian preacher has been stabbed at Speakers Corner by an Islamic extremist.

We were supposed to be there today and we thank Hashem we cancelled at the last minute.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Hatun Tash.

We are praying for her speedy recovery.

Video: @el_soco pic.twitter.com/HJYAvhWzCu

— Israel Advocacy Movement (@israel_advocacy) July 25, 2021

As evidenced by the sirens blaring nearby the scene in the video, police appeared to be nearby, so it’s unclear as to why they weren’t able to arrest the attacker, who fled on foot. One video showed a police car giving chase.

The Charlie Hebdo shirt worn by the woman featured a Muslim cleric kissing a cartoonist with the French satirical magazine with the words “L’amour plus fort que la haine” (love is stronger than hate).