Demonstrations took place in London on Wednesday, marking the third anniversary of the deadly October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. The protests, which were largely peaceful, saw clashes between pro-Palestine and counter-protesters. Police made several arrests, including five people for inciting racial hatred at a spontaneous protest outside the Board of Deputies in Camden.
The October 7 attacks, which were carried out by Hamas-led militants, resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the taking of more than 250 others hostage. In the aftermath of the attacks, there has been a significant increase in antisemitic behavior in the UK, with Jewish people facing intimidation and hatred in streets, schools, universities, and online.
Around 100 pro-Palestine protesters marched through London, chanting slogans such as "free free Palestine" and "free the people, free the land". A group of counter-protesters, holding Israeli flags and placards reading "Stop the Gaza geno-lie", gathered in Russell Square. Shouts of "scumbags" were directed at the pro-Palestine protesters, who were also met with chants of "Terrorist supporters off our streets".
The Metropolitan Police reported that two people were arrested at the central London protest, one for breach of conditions and another for common assault. Student pro-Palestine demonstrations also took place at Edinburgh and Glasgow universities, despite calls for a ban or for the protests to be moved to a different date. Jewish student leaders had described the planned demonstrations as "outrageous".
The decision to march in support of Palestine on the anniversary of the October 7 attacks faced backlash from several quarters. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting branded the planned demonstrations "shameful", while Education Secretary Lucy Powell urged students to "show compassion and protest on another day". The Metropolitan Police also made five arrests at a spontaneous protest outside the Board of Deputies in Camden for inciting racial hatred.
The Israeli embassy in London said that Britain had experienced a "profound rise in antisemitism" since the 2023 Hamas attacks. Data from the Community Security Trust (CST) showed that there were 1,926 antisemitic incidents recorded across the UK in the first half of 2026, up by a fifth on the same period last year. The Palestinian death toll in the past three years surpassed 74,000 last month, according to Gaza's health ministry.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham assured the British Jewish community that "we stand with you" against antisemitism. He described the rise in antisemitic behavior in the UK since 2023 as "disturbing", but pledged that his government is "committed to protecting our citizens from vile hatred". University leaders were advised to review their security and keep close contact with Jewish groups ahead of the student demonstrations.
Key points
- Five people were arrested for inciting racial hatred at a spontaneous protest outside the Board of Deputies in Camden.
- The October 7 attacks resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the taking of more than 250 others hostage.
- The Palestinian death toll in the past three years surpassed 74,000 last month, according to Gaza's health ministry.
