Students chant ‘from the river to the sea’ as they press ahead with controversial pro-Palestine protests on October 7
Protesters have ignored calls from high-profile politicians to cancel action, including Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch
Pro-Palestine activists have descended on British universities today, chanting “from the river to the sea”, despite calls from politicians and Jewish leaders to cancel protests on the second anniversary of the October 7 massacre.
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The world is today marking the second anniversary of Hamas’ October 7 massacre in Israel, where as many as 1,200 Jewish people were killed, including women and children.
Despite this, students have gathered at universities across the country to protest Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza.
Those attending protests have ignored calls from high-profile politicians to cancel action, including Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch.
Sir Keir urged pro-Palestine students not to protest on the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks, saying the UK will “always stand tall” against those who wish harm and hatred upon Jewish communities.
Sir Keir described protests taking place at universities as “un-British”, claiming they show a lack of respect for others.
While Ms Badenoch told protestors they are “doing the wrong thing.”
At the King's College protest students could be heard shouting "Israel, Israel terrorist state"
Around 100 people joined a demonstration outside at the students’ union building at Sheffield University.
Those who gathered shouted chants including: “From river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, “there is only one solution – revolution, revolution” and “occupation is a crime, get your hands off Palestine”.
Those who gathered for the Revolutionary Communist Party-organised event on Tuesday also chanted criticism of the university’s policies, shouting: “Your uni is covered in Palestinian blood.”
A few protesters were carrying Palestinian flags but only a couple carried placards.
The protest was watched by a handful of university security officers but there was no obvious police presence.
One of the organisers of the Sheffield protest, Anton Parocki, of the Revolutionary Communist Party, rejected Sir Keir Starmer’s claim that holding pro-Palestinian rallies on October 7 was “un-British”.
Mr Parocki said: “I think it’s quite funny. What does that mean?
“Are all these people here anti-British? Are all the millions of people that come out for Palestinian protests anti-British?
“Is it anti-British to go against a genocide? That seems like what he’s saying, which is quite funny.”
He said: “But, to be honest, I don’t care what a war criminal says.
“Keir Starmer is a war criminal, so his opinion means very little to me.”
Mr Parocki added: “It’s disgraceful, isn’t it?
“He says it’s insensitive. You know what I think is insensitive? Is that there’s been two years of genocide.
“That’s way worse, with the British Government supporting it.”
Voices from all sides of the political spectrum have condemend protests taking place today.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey agreed it would be “completely wrong” for people to take part in protests in support of Palestine on the second anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack.
Sir Ed said: “I think people shouldn’t protest today.
“Liberal Democrats are giving a strong message that protesting on this anniversary with all the grief and sadness of it, particularly in the UK given what happened last week in Manchester with the appalling terrorist attack on worshippers at the synagogue.
“I think it would be completely wrong for people to protest.”
Bridget Phillipson told LBC Nick Ferrari: “I would say to anybody thinking about protesting today, two years on from the appalling events, the atrocities that we saw on October 7, I would urge them to pause, to reflect, to remember our shared humanity.
"Whilst you can protest, and it's an important cornerstone of our democracy, you don't have to protest and you don't have to protest today of all days."
Writing in the Times, the PM added that the pro-Palestine protests have been used by some as a “despicable excuse to attack British Jews”.
"Today, on the anniversary of the atrocities of October 7, students are once again planning protests," Starmer said.
“This is not who we are as a country. It’s un-British to have so little respect for others. And that’s before some of them decide to start chanting hatred towards Jewish people all over again.”
The anniversary of the attacks comes less than a week after knife-wielding Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, launched a terror attack outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, killing two men.
Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, were both killed in the attack which unfolded on Yom Kippur, the most holy day in the Jewish calendar.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has pledged to put “every available resource into making sure that we understand precisely what has happened”.
Thousands of people attended an event in Trafalgar Square in central London on Sunday to mark the two-year anniversary.
Pro-Palestine protests also took place in the same location, with almost 500 people arrested.
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick branded plans for protests in towns and cities including London, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Bristol, on the anniversary of the attacks “a f****** disgrace”.
He told a fringe event at the Tory party conference: “I heard today that there are protests being scheduled in universities for October the 7th – that’s a f****** disgrace.
“I would say first and foremost to people, our fellow citizens who are thinking of doing that, show some common decency.”