Pro-Palestine demonstrators took over the streets of London on the grim second anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks — ignoring the Prime Minister’s call to show respect.

Flares and Smoke Clouds: Tower Bridge Comes to a Halt

Videos flooding social media show a small but fiery group of protesters at Tower Bridge. They waved flares high, filling the air with red and green smoke, halting traffic on the iconic bridge.

Their chants were clear and confrontational: “Get your hands off Palestine” and “Zionism is a crime.” The City of London Police have been contacted to confirm details.

Defiant Students March Through Top London Universities

Despite stern warnings, hundreds of students donned keffiyehs and staged an “Inter-University March,” targeting prestigious institutions like King’s College London and SOAS for demonstrations.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer labelled the protests “un-British,” urging students to cancel the marches. A government spokesperson added that demonstrators “should demonstrate humanity” on this sensitive date.

But protesters remain unbowed. “We will not be intimidated by the state,” said Haya Adam, an expelled SOAS student, rallying the crowd near Bloomsbury. “It’s our responsibility to march today because it’s been over two years… of continuous forced starvation and massacres against our Palestinian brothers and sisters.”

Tensions Rise Amid Ongoing Gaza Conflict

• Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has claimed approximately 67,000 Palestinian lives, according to health authorities.
• The October 7 anniversary looms heavy, just days after a deadly stabbing attack outside a North London synagogue, adding to the tension.
• Pro-Palestine group Intifada 87 planned to march to Downing Street, with police granting permission to protest on Whitehall until 8pm.

Voices from the Frontline: Son of Holocaust Survivor Speaks Out

Mark Etkind, whose family survived the Holocaust, slammed government criticism of student protesters. He highlighted similarities between the suffering in Gaza and the horrors faced by Jews in WWII.

“The idea this movement is anti-Semitic is completely untrue,” Etkind told the Standard. “The British Government is complicit in this genocide, sending weapons to Israel. Students and most Brits want that arms sale stopped now.”

Etkind joined the protests wearing signs declaring: “Stop the genocide in Gaza,” urging continued resistance against the ongoing violence.

Other UK Cities Join the Protests

London wasn’t alone today. Universities in Edinburgh and Sheffield also saw demonstrations, as nationwide tensions escalate on this solemn anniversary.

With the nation divided and the conflict raging on, London remains the epicentre of fiery pro-Palestinian activism — defying government warnings and flooding the streets with passion, smoke, and chants.