October 7 anniversary protests

As the three-year anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks approached, various pro-Palestinian demonstrations were organized globally. In the United Kingdom, student-led rallies were planned for Edinburgh and Glasgow, while the Metropolitan Police set strict route conditions for a march through central London to manage potential distress to Jewish communities. At the University of California, Los Angeles, the group Students for Justice in Palestine organized a mass protest at Bruin Plaza to recognize Palestinian resistance. On the anniversary itself, approximately 75 protesters gathered on the UCLA campus, using megaphones to chant slogans such as ‘Long live the intifada!’ and ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.’ The demonstration, which was monitored by UCLA police, included accusations that the university profited from violence through its investments. In response, Jewish students held counter-demonstrations to support Israel. In the United States, students and faculty at Georgetown University and Stanford University held vigils to mark the anniversary and the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. At Georgetown, members of Students for Justice in Palestine, the Muslim Students Association, and the Anti-Zionist Jewish Student Front gathered in Red Square as part of a ‘week of rage,’ calling for university divestment from companies doing business with the Israeli military. At Stanford, Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace hosted a vigil commemorating Palestinians killed in Gaza, featuring an installation representing children lost in the conflict. Simultaneously, Hillel, the Jewish Student Association, the Stanford Israel Association, and Chabad held a separate memorial to honor the victims of the October 7 attacks and the hostages. Additional anniversary activities included a walkout of over 100 students at New York University to protest the university’s response to activism and demand divestment.