Students chant ‘from the river to the sea’ as hundreds join October 7 protests ...Middle East

Hundreds of protesters have defied pleas not to protest on the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks.

Chanting “free Palestine” and “from the river to the sea”, some of the students accused Israel of being “a terrorist state.

In central London, a joint demonstration and “inter-university march” involving demonstrators from King’s College London, the London School of Economics, University College London and the School of Oriental and ­African Studies was held after a planned walkout from classes at 2pm on Tuesday.

Students had ignored the Prime Minister’s plea not to attend up to 10 rallies he branded “un-British”, with marches also being held at university campuses in cities including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds, Sheffield and Bristol.

Groups say they are protesting “the beginning of genocide” in Gaza after Israeli military action killed an estimated 60,000 people since 2023.

But the protests have received widespread criticism as they are being held deliberately to coincide with the October 7 anniversary, a day that saw the biggest single loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust, when Hamas terrorists killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages.

Before the protest started, a woman wearing a “Hamas are terrorists” t-shirt walked past the campus declaring her opposition to the rally.

‘On a day like today – Jewish students feel less protected’

A Jewish student at KCL who debated with a group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators, said the last two years had been “very difficult” at university for the Jewish community.

Miles, 19, said: “I think everyone has the same view that this shouldn’t be happening.

“The war should end, aid should go into Gaza, the hostages should come back. Just don’t protest today.

“They don’t want anyone to live in peace and security. They just want to protest on the 7 October, to be performative.”

He added: “I want there to be peace and security. I think Israeli security comes with the ceasefire and peace with the Palestinians, peace with Gaza, peace with the Palestinians in the West Bank, peace with Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon.

“It’s important as Jewish people that we defend our safety and Israel’s safety, thaht we make sure that Jews have also a place in this country and protected.

“On a day like today, we feel less protected. Today is just a picture of almost every day [at university[. It’s very tough.”

‘We need to do something as a country’

Some students attending today’s protest rejected claims it was insensitive to hold the demonstration on the second anniversary of the 7 October massacre.

One KCL student, Hasan, 18, said the deaths in Gaza from Israel’s military campaign were “outrageous”.

He said: “I think that we need to do something, not just as students, but as a country as a whole.

“I think we can see with the media what’s been happening, the killing of children, mothers, babies, the rubble.

“I understand why people might not be comfortable with the day. But if you look at just the numbers of people that have been dying, I think it’s important to see where the deaths have been happening the most.”

As crowds began to gather a huge banner showing the names of people killed in Gaza was unfurled by demonstrators, some of whom covered their faces with masks.

One protester with his face covered led crowds in chants of “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free” and “Israel is a terrorist state”.

Police officers patrolled the area outside the Strand Campus building where crowds began to gather.

At one point, Haya Adam, who was recently expelled from SOAS and is leader of the SOAS Palestine Society, led chants of “long live the initifada” through a microphone.

Another protester chanted “settlers, settlers go back home Palestine is not your home”.

Intifada is an Arabic word meaning uprising and has been used as a slogan by some pro-Palestinian activists calling for global support for their cause. Critics of the slogan view it as an incitement to violence and antisemitism.

‘I find it incredibly insensitive’

Four pro-Israel supporters stood with their backs to the protesters, who booed them when they unfurled an Israeli flag and a banner saying “Jewish and proud”.

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Emily Schrader, 34, one of the counter-protesters holding an Israeli flag, said students holding the pro-Palestinian rally today was “unacceptable”.

“I’m here today because I find it incredibly insensitive that they’re protesting on October 7 of all days,” she said.

“It’s a Jewish holiday, and to do so on a day when the Hamas terrorist organization, a UK designated terrorist organization, invaded Israel’s sovereign borders, invaded civilian homes, a music festival murdered 378 people there, took 250 people hostage, 48 of which are still there.

“I remind everyone here, Israel did not respond to the actions of October 7 until October 27. If you’re protesting today, it’s sending a message, not of support for Palestinians but of support for Hamas – who by the way is also oppressing many Palestinians.”

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