Starmer urges students not to join pro-Palestinian protests on anniversary

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has urged students not to join pro-Palestinian protests on Tuesday, the second anniversary of the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel, warning of "rising antisemitism on our streets".

Sir Keir said it was "un-British to have little respect for others" by staging demonstrations on the anniversary, adding protests had been used by some as a "despicable excuse to attack British Jews".

The UK is seeing heightened security to protect Jewish communities after last week's deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue.

Students from London universities are planning a joint march, with rallies also expected at Strathclyde, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Bristol and Sheffield.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said she would also asks protesters to think about if they had to demonstrate "today of all days".

Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, she said: "There are 364 other days in the year where you can protest. And that is not to diminish their right to protest about the suffering that they see in Gaza...

"But two years on from October 7, I would just ask people to reflect and try and think about our shared humanity and our responsibilities to one another – and particularly Jewish people in our country – who today will be feeling a deep sense of mourning and loss and real concern."

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch warned against "so-called 'protests' that turn into hate marches on our streets", with shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick describing Tuesday's planned protests a "disgrace".

The Union of Jewish Students said protesters marking resistance "on October 7th echoes the explicit justification and glorification of the Hamas terrorist attacks on campus witnessed over the last two years".

It added in a statement: "No Jewish student should have to stand by as others glorify a day that marks such loss for our community."

Protest group UCL Action For Palestine, which is taking part in the London march, posted on social media that it would not be "silenced or intimidated" and stood in solidarity with the thousands of Palestinians killed before and prior to October 2023.

The demonstration in the capital is set to involve students marching between university campuses.

It has been promoted as including groups from from King's College London, London School of Economics, University College London, Soas, Roehampton University, City St George's, Open University, Imperial College and University of Arts London. Gatherings are also planned at Queen Mary University and Goldsmith's.

Rallies are also are expected to take place at the Universities of Strathclyde, Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol and Leeds.