Students planning pro-Palestine march through London universities on October 7 anniversary are condemned as 'provocative'

From the Newshound archive · first published 24 September 2026 · last updated 25 September 2026.

Student activists from eight London universities are planning a march through central London on October 7, the third anniversary of Hamas's massacre of 1,200 Israelis and the taking of 251 hostages. Raphi Leon, president of the Union of Jewish Students, said the timing was 'provocative, deliberate and must be condemned to the fullest extent.' Education Secretary Lucy Powell warned police were ready to 'take action' if the protests caused wider harm. Lord Walney, the former government adviser on political violence, said some activists wanted to 'taunt those who remain deeply traumatised' by the attack.

The march is advertised by the University of London Coalition, which used the red triangle associated with Hamas in its publicity and called for a 'liberated Palestine from the river to the sea.'

The route will take protesters from King's College London through LSE and SOAS before finishing at UCL — the same path taken by a similar demonstration last year that drew widespread condemnation.

Leon said that at last year's October 7 march, a student protester told media she did not think Jewish students' feelings 'are valid'.