London students plan pro-Palestine march for October 7 anniversary

Students from four London universities are planning a mass pro-Palestine march to coincide with the third anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks. Organizers have used social media to call for supporters to take to the streets to demand an end to what they describe as a ‘Palestinian genocide’ in Gaza.

The decision to hold the demonstration on the anniversary has drawn sharp criticism from Jewish community leaders. Raphi Leon, president of the Union of Jewish Students (UJS), described the timing as ‘provocative, deliberate and must be condemned to the fullest extent,’ noting that while students have the right to protest, the choice lacks sensitivity toward those traumatized by the original attacks.

Last year, then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged students to avoid such protests on the anniversary, calling it ‘un-British.’ Critics, including former government extremism chief Lord Walney, have suggested that some activists are using the timing to taunt those affected by the Hamas attacks, which killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in the taking of 251 hostages.