Pro-Palestine Protests at UK Universities Chant ‘Long Live Intifada’ on October 7 Anniversary
LONDON – On the second anniversary of the 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, pro-Palestine demonstrations were held at several major UK universities, including King’s College London, Sheffield, Glasgow, and Edinburgh.
The protests, which took place amid heightened tensions following a recent stabbing near a Manchester synagogue, featured chants of “Long live the Intifada.” The term “Intifada” refers to past Palestinian uprisings against Israeli rule, which involved both protest and violent conflict.
The events have sparked controversy, particularly after an interview with a King’s College London student, broadcast by LBC, drew widespread online condemnation. The student dismissed Jewish students’ safety concerns as “invalid” and stated that true freedom required Israelis to return to their “birthplaces,” suggesting countries like the United States or Poland.
Prior to the protests, Prime Minister Keir Starmer had called for restraint and urged a respectful acknowledgement of British Jewish grief on the anniversary. Despite these calls, the demonstrations proceeded.
