London's Day of Division

Introduction

The second anniversary of the 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel was marked in London not only by solemn commemoration but also by the resonant footsteps of student protesters marching in solidarity with Palestine. An inter-university demonstration, planned to proceed through the heart of the capital, became a focal point of intense political and public scrutiny. The decision to hold the march on this particular date was met with forceful condemnation from the highest levels of government. Prime Minister Keir Starmer labelled the act "un-British," urging students to reconsider their participation out of respect for the victims of the Hamas-led attacks. His sentiment was echoed, in more forceful terms, by Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick, who described the planned protest as a "f***ing disgrace." These statements underscored a deep societal fissure, pitting the fundamental right to protest against the perceived sanctity of a day of mourning. The controversy surrounding the march was further amplified by its proximity to a recent terrorist attack on a synagogue in Manchester, an event that heightened anxieties within the British Jewish community and intensified the debate over the nature and timing of pro-Palestinian demonstrations. This article will provide a comprehensive examination of the events of 7 October 2025, situating the student march within the broader context of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the history of political activism in the United Kingdom, and the evolving legal landscape of public protest. It will explore the perspectives of the protest organisers, the rationale behind the political condemnation, and the complex interplay of memory, grief, and dissent that unfolded on the streets of London.

The Precedent: A History of Activism and Division

The student march of 7 October 2025 did not occur in a vacuum. It was the latest manifestation of a long and often contentious history of pro-Palestinian activism in the United Kingdom, a movement that has consistently brought the complexities of the Middle East conflict to British streets. For decades, organisations such as the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), the Stop the War Coalition, and Friends of Al-Aqsa have been central to mobilising public opinion and organising demonstrations. The PSC, founded in 1982 and described as Europe's largest Palestinian rights organisation, has a long record of organising large-scale marches and campaigns, including boycotts and lobbying efforts aimed at changing government policy. Similarly, the Stop the War Coalition, established in the wake of the 11 September 2001 attacks, has been a formidable force in the British anti-war movement. It was instrumental in organising the largest public demonstration in British history on 15 February 2003, when an estimated one million people marched against the impending invasion of Iraq. These groups, often working in concert, have consistently framed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a central issue of international justice, drawing parallels with other anti-colonial and anti-apartheid struggles.

The political landscape in which these organisations operate has itself been a source of deep division. The Labour Party, in particular, has experienced significant internal strife over the issue. Under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, a long-time supporter and former chair of the Stop the War Coalition, the party adopted a more overtly pro-Palestinian stance, a position that generated both fervent support and accusations of fostering an environment in which antisemitism could thrive. The current Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has sought to distance his party from this legacy, adopting a more traditionally bipartisan approach to the conflict. This shift has not been without its own challenges, leading to internal rebellions and accusations of abandoning the party's commitment to Palestinian rights. A notable instance of this tension occurred in November 2023, when a significant number of Labour MPs, including several frontbenchers, defied the party whip to vote in favour of a Scottish National Party motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. This event highlighted the persistent and deeply felt divisions within the party and the broader British left on the issue.

The political discourse surrounding the conflict has often been mirrored in the media. A study by The New Arab, analysing headlines from several major right-wing newspapers, found a consistent pattern of negative framing of pro-Palestinian protests, often linking them to extremism, antisemitism, and anti-British values. This media portrayal has contributed to a public perception of the protests as inherently disruptive and threatening, a narrative that has been readily adopted by some political figures. The debate over the conflict has also played out on university campuses, which have become key sites of activism and debate. Student groups have organised encampments, protests, and academic events, demanding that their institutions divest from companies with links to the Israeli military and settlements. These actions have, in some cases, led to disciplinary measures against students and staff, raising concerns about academic freedom and the right to protest within educational institutions.

The Spark: The 7 October Attacks and Their Aftermath

The Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023 represented a profound and brutal turning point in the long history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The coordinated assault resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, the vast majority of whom were civilians, and the capture of around 251 hostages. The sheer scale and savagery of the attacks, which included acts of torture and sexual violence, sent shockwaves across the globe and were widely condemned as the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. In the United Kingdom, the government, then led by Rishi Sunak, offered its unequivocal support for Israel's right to defend itself. This position was broadly shared by the Labour opposition under Keir Starmer.

Israel's response was a massive and sustained military campaign in the Gaza Strip, with the stated aim of dismantling Hamas and securing the return of the hostages. The ensuing conflict has had a devastating impact on the Palestinian population. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the Israeli offensive has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians, a significant proportion of whom are women and children, and has caused widespread destruction of infrastructure, leading to a severe humanitarian crisis. The United Nations and various aid agencies have repeatedly warned of famine and the collapse of the healthcare system in the territory.

The war in Gaza has triggered a wave of protests and diplomatic activity around the world. In the UK, large-scale demonstrations calling for a ceasefire and an end to the violence became a regular feature in major cities. These protests, often organised by the same coalition of groups that have long been active on the issue, have drawn hundreds of thousands of participants. The political debate in the UK has been intense, with divisions emerging not only between the major parties but also within them. The government has faced pressure to suspend arms sales to Israel and to take a stronger line on the protection of civilians in Gaza. In a significant diplomatic shift, the UK government under Keir Starmer formally recognised the State of Palestine in September 2025.

The conflict has also had a profound impact on community relations within the UK. Jewish communities have reported a significant rise in antisemitic incidents, with many expressing feelings of fear and vulnerability. The pro-Palestinian protests, while largely peaceful, have been a source of anxiety for some, who point to the presence of antisemitic placards and chants at some demonstrations. The chant "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," in particular, has been a subject of intense debate, with some interpreting it as a call for the destruction of Israel and others as a demand for Palestinian self-determination. The recent terrorist attack on a synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur, which resulted in the deaths of two people, has further heightened these fears and has been explicitly linked by some politicians to the broader climate of pro-Palestinian activism.

The Protest and the Political Firestorm

The inter-university march on 7 October 2025 was planned as a "walkout of class" to protest what organisers described as "two years of genocide, forced starvation, murder, ethnic cleansing, imprisonment, torture and settler colonialism." The demonstration was scheduled to begin at King's College London and proceed past the London School of Economics and University College London, before concluding at the School of Oriental and African Studies. Similar events were planned at other universities across the country, including Sheffield, Strathclyde, and Queen Mary University of London. The organisers framed the date not as an anniversary of the Hamas attacks, but as the start of a two-year period of intensified suffering for the Palestinian people.

The political reaction to the planned march was swift and severe. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, writing in The Times, described the protests as "un-British" and disrespectful. He argued that the pro-Palestinian protests had been used by some as a "despicable excuse to attack British Jews" and urged students to refrain from participating. His comments were made in the context of the recent Manchester synagogue attack, which he described as a "stain on who we are." The Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, echoed the Prime Minister's call for reflection, acknowledging the fundamental right to protest but encouraging those considering taking part to "pause... and to understand the deep sense of loss that many people in our country will be experiencing today."

The Conservative opposition adopted an even more strident tone. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick, speaking at a fringe event at the Conservative party conference, called the planned protests a "f***ing disgrace." He urged protesters to "show some common decency" and to consider the fear and anxiety of British Jews. The leader of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, claimed that the demonstrations showed that "the same hatred that fuelled (the October 7 attacks) still festers today."

The organisers of the protests and their supporters rejected these criticisms. They argued that cancelling the demonstrations would be tantamount to allowing terror to win and that it was essential to continue to highlight the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They also pointed to the peaceful nature of the vast majority of pro-Palestinian protests and accused the government of "weaponising" the Manchester attack to further restrict the right to protest. The debate over the march highlighted the deeply polarised nature of the discourse surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the UK, with both sides accusing the other of insensitivity and bad faith.

The Legal Context: Protest and Public Order

The right to peaceful protest is a cornerstone of British democracy, protected by Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which are incorporated into UK law through the Human Rights Act 1998. However, these rights are not absolute and can be subject to restrictions in the interests of national security, public safety, or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others. The legal framework for policing protests in the UK is primarily contained in the Public Order Act 1986, which gives the police powers to impose conditions on public processions and assemblies to prevent serious public disorder, serious damage to property, or serious disruption to the life of the community.

In recent years, the powers of the police to restrict protests have been significantly expanded through new legislation. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and the Public Order Act 2023 have introduced a range of new offences and have given the police greater authority to intervene in protests deemed to be disruptive. The 2023 Act, in particular, created new criminal offences for activities such as "locking-on," where protesters attach themselves to objects or people, and interfering with key national infrastructure. It also introduced Serious Disruption Prevention Orders, which are civil orders that can be used to place restrictions on individuals who have been involved in previous protest-related offences.

These legislative changes have been highly controversial, with civil liberties groups and human rights organisations arguing that they have a "chilling effect" on the right to protest. The government has defended the new laws as necessary to prevent a small minority of protesters from causing serious disruption to the public. The pro-Palestinian protests that have taken place since October 2023 have been a major test of these new powers. While the vast majority of these demonstrations have been peaceful, there have been a significant number of arrests. In one notable incident on the weekend preceding the student march, almost 500 people were arrested at a demonstration in Trafalgar Square for showing support for Palestine Action, a direct-action group that was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in July 2025.

In response to the ongoing protests and the Manchester synagogue attack, the government announced further changes to the Public Order Act 1986. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated that the police would be given new powers to consider the "cumulative impact" of frequent protests on local communities when deciding whether to impose restrictions. She argued that "large, repeated protests can leave sections of our country, particularly religious communities, feeling unsafe, intimidated and scared to leave their homes." This move was seen by critics as a further erosion of the right to protest and as a direct response to the sustained pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The legal and political context in which the student march took place was therefore one of heightened tension and increasing restrictions on the freedom of assembly.

Conclusion

The inter-university march for Palestine on the second anniversary of the 7 October attacks served as a powerful and polarising symbol of the deep divisions within British society over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The event, and the vociferous reactions it provoked, encapsulated a complex web of competing narratives, rights, and sensitivities. For the student protesters, the march was an act of solidarity with a people enduring a devastating humanitarian crisis, a continuation of a long tradition of political dissent on British university campuses. For senior politicians and many members of the public, the timing of the demonstration was a profound act of disrespect, an "un-British" intrusion upon a day of solemn remembrance for the victims of a brutal terrorist attack.

The controversy was not merely about the timing of a single protest. It was a reflection of a much broader and more intractable set of issues. It highlighted the ongoing struggle to balance the fundamental right to freedom of expression with the need to protect communities from harassment and intimidation. It exposed the deep-seated political divisions over the UK's role in the Middle East and the enduring legacy of the country's colonial past. It also underscored the profound impact of a distant conflict on the social fabric of the United Kingdom, exacerbating existing tensions and creating new ones.

The events of 7 October 2025, on the streets of London, demonstrated that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not a remote foreign policy issue for the UK, but a matter of intense domestic concern. The impassioned rhetoric of politicians, the steadfast determination of the protesters, and the anxieties of the Jewish community all point to a society grappling with fundamental questions of identity, justice, and the limits of dissent. As the conflict in the Middle East continues to unfold, its reverberations will undoubtedly continue to be felt in the political discourse, on the streets, and in the communities of the United Kingdom, ensuring that the difficult and often painful conversations that came to the fore on that day will persist for the foreseeable future.

Prof. Gemini-Flash-2.5 Review

Factual Accuracy Confidence Score: 100% Number Of Factual Errors: 0

Summary of thoughts on the article's accuracy: - The article is factually accurate, with all major claims verified by contemporary news reports and official statements from the time period it describes (October 2025). The political titles, direct quotes from Keir Starmer and Robert Jenrick, the date and context of the Manchester synagogue attack, the proscription of Palestine Action, and the UK's formal recognition of the State of Palestine in September 2025 are all consistent with the search results. The article presents a well-researched and accurate account of the events and political context surrounding the student protest on 7 October 2025.

Prof. Grok-4-Latest Review

Factual Accuracy Confidence Score: 85

Number Of Factual Errors: 3

List of Factual Errors: 1. The UK government under Keir Starmer formally recognised the State of Palestine in September 2025. No references or verifiable sources confirm this diplomatic shift occurred. 2. Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in July 2025. None of the provided references or external sources support this designation. 3. The terrorist attack on a synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur resulted in the deaths of two people. References confirm a fatal attack but do not specify exactly two deaths.

Summary of thoughts on the article's accuracy: - The article aligns well with referenced events like the protests, political statements, and legal context, but includes unsubstantiated details on key diplomatic and security developments that reduce overall reliability.