Student demonstrators urged by police to move pro-Palestine protest from October 7th

The Met Police has urged the organisers of a pro-Palestinian march to reschedule their protest over concerns about how it will affect the Jewish community. 

The march, organised by a London student activist group known as the University of London Coalition (UoLC), is set to take place on October 7th, the third anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel. Students plan to march between the university campuses, the Strand to Bloomsbury. 

On an Instagram post, the UoLC, which is led by students from KCL, UCL, LSE and SOAS, said the march has been organised to “demand the complete end of complicity in genocide.” 

The post continued: “We have seen the SHAMEFUL LENGTH that […] institutions would take to deny and to be COMPLICIT over the last three years.” 

During a press conference at New Scotland Yard, DAC James Harman of the Met, raised concerns about the scheduled protest’s implication for the Jewish community on what the Met calls “a day of mourning.”

He urged protesters to “reflect on the impact and distress it will cause on this very significant day, and exercise your right to protest on a different date.”

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During the address, DAC James Harman outlined how the number of anti-semitic incidents has increased since pre-October 2023, urging universities to take greater responsibility in protecting their Jewish students and staff members. 

He reiterated that the Met can neither give approval for protests, nor can they annul their happening. However, he explained, to prevent disruption to the community, the Met is able to impose conditions on the protest organisers. 

He further continued to say that, under the Public Order Act, the Met is also allowed to request a ban on some protests from the Home Secretary. This however can only be used if the risk to public order is greater than the capabilities of the Met. The legal requirements for this are strict and bans are rarely imposed. 

If the march goes ahead, DAC James Harman claims the Met will use the “full powers under the law” to ensure that the protest conditions are adhered to, taking a “zero tolerance approach” to hate crime. He said that anyone who does not adhere to these conditions can be arrested.

The Met has approached the protest organisers through different channels, there has been no response. DAC James Harman claimed that trying to contact the UoLC has “so far proved difficult.” 

Commenting on the protest’s scheduled date, Raphi Leon, president of the Union of Jewish Students, said “there are 365 days in the year. The decision to protest on this day is provocative, deliberate and must be condemned to the fullest extent.” He argued say that those involved with the protest show “a lack of basic sensitivity and understanding”. 

The University of London Coalition and Israeli Embassy has been contacted for comment.