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Hundreds of pro-Palestine students chanted 'from the river to the sea' during protests on the second anniversary of Hamas's October 7 attacks on Israel.
Scores of people demonstrated outside Sheffield University's students' union where they chanted: 'From river to the sea, Palestine will be free.'
The song, which has been adopted by Hamas and is used in the terror group's official charter, is deemed anti-Semitic and a direct call for the state of Israel to be destroyed.
The Palestinian flag-waving students also accused Israel of a 'holocaust' and shouted: 'Your uni is covered in Palestinian blood'.
Similar chants were heard in London as hundreds more students - many wearing facemasks - rallied in defiance of pleas from Jewish leaders and top politicians to 'pause' displays and 'show some humanity'.
While one group of demonstrators were seen storming Queen Mary University's building to disrupt an event supported by British defence giant, BAE Systems, with one woman hysterically screaming: 'Get out of here. How dare you.'
The campaign of disruption comes as a woman in London, who sparked outrage after being filmed cutting down yellow ribbons for Israeli hostages from a fence, was today unmasked.
Nadia Yahlom, who lives in north London, used scissors to brazenly snip the memorial bands tied to railings by the Jewish community to honour of the 251 people taken hostage by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.
Ms Yahlom declared the tributes - which were put up on the eve of the second anniversary of the attacks - were 'condoning genocide'.
The yellow ribbon is the symbol of the 'Bring Them Home' campaign for those who have been held captive by Hamas terrorists and kept against their will in Gaza.
Ms Yahlom, whose identity was until now unknown, is a pro-Palestine artist whose work focuses on 'hauntedness and supernatural life' in the war-torn state.
She studied at the University of Cambridge and Goldsmiths before embarking on an Arts PhD at the University of Westminster. Her husband is a Palestinian actor.
Police are now investigating whether her actions constituted an act of criminal damage or a hate crime.
The news comes as hordes of students across the country defied warnings from Prime Minister Keir Starmer to stay away from 'un-British' protests on the second anniversary of the attacks which claimed the lives of around 1,200 people in Israel.
Nadia Yahlom, who lives in north London, used scissors to brazenly snip the memorial bands that the Jewish community had tied to railings in honour of the 251 people taken hostage by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.
The woman was seen cutting down ribbons for Israeli hostages from a fence in Muswell Hill, North London
Pro-Palestine activists have sparked outraged after rallying in their hundreds on the anniversary of the October 7 terror attacks (pictured are students holding a 'glory to our martyrs' banner at Glasgow University
Hundreds of students have marched in London (pictured) in defiance of pleas to postpone their demonstrations until after the October 7 anniversary
Around 100 people demonstrated outside Sheffield University's students' union where they changed: 'From river to the sea, Palestine will be free.'
One organiser of Sheffield's took aim at the PM after Sir Keir branded activists 'un-British', defiantly saying: 'To be honest, I don't care what a war criminal says... Keir Starmer is a war criminal, so his opinion means very little to me.'
Of the more than a dozen protests meant to be held at universities - including Glasgow, Edinburgh and London - to mark the anniversary, themes include events to 'honour our martyrs' and celebrate 'two years of resistance'.
Others have advertised their marches with the phrase 'long live the intifada' - an anti-Semitic term used as a rallying cry to violently overthrow the Jewish state.
However, as outrage grew over the movement, some events have been axed.
In Liverpool a 'Palestine bake sale' was forced to cancel last minute over furious backlash to the event.
One woman, who did not want to be named for fear of her safety, said: 'I know that Jewish students at the university are very distressed by this.
'It has made them feel unwelcome and unsafe. The event was posted on their Instagram on Friday - the day after Manchester's attack.'
Another protest at Strathclyde University in Glasgow had also been planned, where students were urged to 'grab your flag and keffiyeh' and attend a 'Protest 4 Palestine'. However, this event has also been postponed amid mounting fury over the rally.
Writing in The Times, Sir Keir said: 'Today, on the anniversary of the atrocities of October 7, students are once again planning protests.
'This is not who we are as a country. It's un-British to have so little respect for others. And that's before some of them decide to start chanting hatred towards Jewish people all over again.'
He added the pro-Palestine protests have been used by some as a 'despicable excuse to attack British Jews'.
However, one of the organisers of a protest in Sheffield, Anton Parocki, of the Revolutionary Communist Party, rejected the PM's claim that holding pro-Palestinian rallies on October 7 was 'un-British'.
Mr Parocki defiantly said: 'I think it's quite funny. What does that mean?
'Are all these people here anti-British? Are all the millions of people that come out for Palestinian protests anti-British?
'Is it anti-British to go against a genocide? That seems like what he's saying, which is quite funny.'
He added: 'But, to be honest, I don't care what a war criminal says.
'Keir Starmer is a war criminal, so his opinion means very little to me.
'He says it's insensitive. You know what I think is insensitive? Is that there's been two years of genocide.
'That's way worse, with the British Government supporting it.'
Students in London taking part in the 'inter university' march depart Kings College London before passing the London School of Economics, University College London
More students in London were pictured during their protest on Tuesday afternoon
Glasgow: Activists holding banners saying 'glory to our martyrs' rallied near the city's university library
In Sheffield, students supporting the pro-Palestine movement were also seen gathering
Masked students outside King's College, London, were seem carrying banners saying 'bank rolling genocide' and 'apartheid off campus'
In London, dozens of students have rallied as part of a major city-wide Inter-University March
Demonstrators gathered outside King's College University in The Strand for the protest.
Crowds, many of whom were wearing masks or face coverings, were reportedly heard shouting 'From the river to the sea' and 'long live the intifada'.
A student in keffiyah kick-started the event, chanting: 'KCL, shut it down, UK government, shut it down.'
A banner was also unfurled at KCL in an effort to block people from entering the university building.
Starting at King's College, the march is set to weave its way through London, picking up protesters at London School of Economics, University College London, and School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)
The protest is being led by former law student Haya Adam, who was expelled from SOAS in Holborn, London, in August.
She and her activist mother, Azza Ahmed Zaki, have both involved in the university's anti-Israel encampment which has been running for more than a year.
The second-year law and international relations student was allegedly expelled for harassment, abusive behaviour and operational obstruction.
The protest is being led by former law student Haya Adam, who was expelled from SOAS in Holborn, London, in August. Pictured are students carrying a sign supporting Haya
Large crowds of students were seen gathering in defiance of calls by the PM not to stage pro-Palestine rallies on the anniversary of the October 7 massacre in Israel in 2023
Chants of 'free free Palestine' have been heard during some of the marches (pictured are student activists outside King's College in London)
Later, protesters appeared to march together as a group through the streets of London
The protest comes on the same day the Jewish community mourns the anniversary of the October 7 terror attacks carried out by Hamas against Israel, in which 1,200 were killed
Her family are political refugees originally from Egypt and, according to Companies House records, they now live in an apartment in Paddington, West London, a stone's throw from Kensington Palace.
In a video posted on Instagram following her expulsion, Adam alleged that SOAS had set a 'dangerous precedent'.
'For the first time in a UK university they have expelled a student in the midst of their studies for standing up against a live-streamed genocide,' she claimed.
Adam added she had chosen to attend SOAS because she believed 'this was a decolonial institution... I believed that I would get an anti-colonial education whilst having a space where I could speak up against injustice'.
Branding the university 'a tool of empire and imperialism' she insisted she would 'continue to fight for our Palestinian brothers and sisters by any means necessary'.
Four counter-protesters waved Israeli flags as the protest went through Holborn.
Emily Schrader, 34, described the rally as 'unacceptable'.
'I'm an Israeli, I'm here visiting,' she said. 'I came to be with the community during the holidays. Unfortunately, I'm spending my time here advocating for our 48 remaining hostages in Gaza.
'I find it incredibly insensitive that they're protesting on October 7 of all days.
'On this day, the Hamas terrorist organisation invaded Israel's sovereign borders, invaded civilian homes and murdered 378 people at a music festival.
'If you're protesting today, it's not a message of support for Palestinians, but of support for Hamas.'
Elsewhere in the capital, locals have condemned a 'vile' and 'disgusting' march by pro-Palestine supporters.
Hundreds carrying Palestine flags and many in face coverings also attended the demo at the Queen Mary University in east London.
The rally, called 'Two Years of Genocide, Two Years of Resistance', also saw students chanting 'free free Palestine' and 'Israel is a terror state'.
Pictured is one of the posters advertising the cake sale, which has since been postponed
Students at the rally outside King's College London appeared to attempt to block one of the entrances to the university building, with staff seen trying to remove it
Protests wave Palestinian flags outside King's College London on Friday
Provocative signs were also held by some activists, with one reading 'Zionism off campus' and another 'QMUL to Gaza, Globalise the Intifada'.
Other chants include: 'Occupation occupation no more.'
They are being made through a loudspeaker and there is also one student playing the drums.
One student condemned the march, telling the Daily Mail: 'I really don't agree with it. It's terrible.
'Everyone has a right to protest, but today? It doesn't feel right to me.'
One local said: 'It's vile. It's disgusting. I can hear the chanting. Can't they have some respect?
'It's no wonder the Jewish community are terrified. The university is a disgrace for allowing this to happen.'
A huge ring of steel of security has been placed around the university, which some students have described as 'completely unprecedented'.
Footage from social media has shown the moment some demonstrators stormed a building in Queen Mary University during an event supported by British defence giant, BAE Systems.
One hysterical woman, wearing a face mask, was filmed screeching: 'Get out of here. How dare you come with that... and think you will be welcome. Shame on you.'
A spokeswoman for the university hit out at the footage, telling the Daily Mail: 'This was totally unacceptable behaviour which we will address through our University processes.
Some students, wearing face coverings and masks, were seen using a megaphone to chant
'Companies had been invited to attend a Queen Mary careers fair focused on supporting women in STEM, which attracted students from across a range of disciplines.
'We would like to apologies to our guests and attendees for the disruption caused by this handful of students.'
The son of a Holocaust survivor has since thrown his weight behind activists - as he accused the government of 'slandering' students protesting against the war in Gaza.
Mark Etkind, who is in his early 60s and joined a protest marching between several London universities on Tuesday, said: 'Students today have been protesting against the Gaza genocide, two years since October 7 - the appalling massacre, and in the media and, in fact, the Government itself Starmer has slandered these students, saying they're somehow being insensitive to the suffering of October 7, or indeed to ... the terrible crime in Manchester that happened last week, while ignoring the obvious fact that their priority is to oppose the genocide now, to oppose the ongoing conflict which Britain unfortunately is complicit in because we are still sending weapons to Israel.'
Mr Etkind, from Watford, added: 'The priority for me, as the son of a Holocaust survivor, is not just to mourn people who've already died, no matter how important that is - it's stop the killing now.'
The Metropolitan Police has rolled out a series of measures to prevent pro-Palestine group 'Intifada 87' from gathering in parts of the city.
The organisation is planning a rally outside the BBC's offices before heading to Downing Street at 5.30pm for a static protest..
A large area of central London, from Oxford Circus, north through Marylebone, to Great Portland Street, is off limits to the group, police said, as part of an effort to prevent 'disruption to the community'.
A glum-looking protester was pictured holding a 'free Palestine' plaque in Glasgow
More than a dozen people appeared to rally in Glasgow, Scotland, carrying flags and posters
However, a number of rallies were due to happen nationwide but some have been axed last minute due to widespread outrage at their timing.
A march failed to take place at University of Bristol - as no protesters gathered outside the building grounds.
Bristol Socialist Worker Student Group planned to hold a rally titled 'end the genocide' at the Wills Memorial - outside the largest library on campus.
The event has since been deleted from their Instagram account.
Set to take place at 12pm, three police officers were standing next to the university grounds awaiting for the protest to take place.
However, after one hour waiting, press and police started walking off as the protesters failed to appear.
Curious passers-by would ask journalists what was set to happen, but no Palestinian flags were flagged outside the university grounds.
It comes after Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson warned students to 'pause' their protests and 'show some humanity'.
'There is, of course, within our country the fundamental right to protest. It's a cornerstone of our democracy,' she told Sky News.
'But my message is that, as we remember the awful atrocities that took place two years ago on October 7, I would just encourage those considering taking part in protests to pause, to reflect and to understand the deep sense of loss that many people in our country will be experiencing today, not least given the appalling attacks we saw at Manchester last week.
'So my message is that whilst you might have the right to protest, I would urge people to show some humanity, to show some respect and to understand the deep sense of grief and loss that many Jewish people in our country will be experiencing today.'
In London a small number of counter-protesters were seen outside King's College
Hundreds are thought to have joined demonstrations nationwide (pictured are students taking part in one protest in London on Friday)
Hundreds of students and staff at Edinburgh University gathered for a pro-Palestinian protest in the Scottish capital.
Many were seen carrying flags and placards bearing pro-Palestinian slogans as they massed outside the university's main library in George Square.
They were addressed by speakers, including from a number of student organisations, and were led in English and Arabic chants to the sound of drums.
Participants shouted the word 'shame' and cheered at intervals as the speakers called for an end to the ongoing conflict, and for the university to divest of investments in companies they said are producing weapons being used in the conflict.
They also criticised calls from the PM and the university management not to take part in the protest.
The demonstrators then marched through Bristow Square and on to the university's Old College, where further speeches and chants are taking place.
Commenting on demonstrations taking place at universities across the country, Tory shadow education secretary Laura Trott said: 'The idea that anybody can celebrate what happened on 7 October is utterly abhorrent. It's disgusting and has no place in our universities.'
Speaking at a Conservative conference fringe event, Ms Trott added that 'police and universities need to be extremely hard on this'.
'We need to show who we are as a society, this is the least British thing and it needs to be stopped,' she continued.
The marches comes less than a week after two men were killed in a terror attack at a synagogue in Manchester.
Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, killed Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, in the attack which unfolded on Yom Kippur, the most holy day in the Jewish calendar.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has pledged to put 'every available resource into making sure that we understand precisely what has happened'.
Sir Keir said: 'Today we mark two years since the horrifying attacks on Israel by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.
Posters marking one event at Queen Mary University in London have appeared on buildings around the campus and on social media
'Time does not diminish the evil we saw that day. The worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. The brutal, cold-blooded torture and murder of Jews in their own homes. And the taking of hostages, including British citizens, some of whom remain in Gaza today.
'Since that awful day, so many have endured a living nightmare. When I spoke with some of the families of the British hostages, I promised them in person that we will not cease in our efforts to bring their loved ones home.
'But back here in the UK, our Jewish communities have also endured rising antisemitism on our streets, in our country. And last week, a horrifying terrorist attack on the holy day of Yom Kippur in Manchester.
'This is a stain on who we are, and this country will always stand tall and united against those who wish harm and hatred upon Jewish communities.
'Our priority in the Middle East remains the same - release the hostages. Surge aid into Gaza. And a ceasefire that can lead to a lasting and just peace as a step towards a two-state solution. A safe and secure Israel, alongside a viable Palestinian state.
'We welcome the US initiative towards peace in the Middle East, and this Government will do everything in our power to bring about the day where every child of Israel can live peacefully, alongside their Palestinian neighbours, in safety and security.'
The Prime Minister has been criticised for his decision to recognise a Palestinian state, with some Jewish leaders and Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage accusing Starmer of 'emboldening protesters' with his actions.
Thousands of people attended an event in Trafalgar Square in central London on Sunday to mark the two-year anniversary.
Pro-Palestine protests also took place in the same location, with almost 500 people arrested for allegedly expressing support for the banned terror group, Palestine Action, over the weekend.
And on Thursday, hundreds of other activists held protests in London and Manchester - just hours after the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue terror attack rocked the nation's Jewish community.
Britain's Jewish leaders, as well as university chiefs and senior politicians, have now voiced their repulsion at the timing of tomorrow's planned demonstrations.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews said it was 'disgusted by reports of recent hate-filled protests on university campuses'.
'In the wake of the terror attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation it is clear we need fundamental change of mindset to drive out anti-Jewish incitement at all levels of our society, including from our universities,' a spokesman added.
Keith Black, chairman of Jewish Leadership Council, was also sickened by the scheduled events on the anniversary of Hamas's massacre in Israel.
'Protesting on campuses on October 7 is a disgraceful and deeply upsetting strategy to cause maximum pain to Jewish students,' Mr Black said.
'The content of these demonstrations is likely to be anti-Semitic and incite violence. For those involved to claim any kind of moral authority is a lie, these protests are driven by hate.'
At Queen Mary University in London, organisers are planning a rally dubbed: 'Two Years of Genocide, Two Years of Resistance'.
Students at Goldsmiths, University of London, are also gearing up for an event, advertised as a 'night of remembrance and resistance'.
At nearby King's College in London, students have been invited to a talk entitled: 'Why It Didn't Start On October 7th'.
University students outside King's College in London on Friday are seen carrying banners
A student protesting at the University of Sheffield on Tuesday
'Wear your keffiyeh, bring your voice, and join us as we demand divestment from Israel and justice for Palestine,' one post advertising the rally on Facebook said.
It later adds 'from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' - a chant critics have branded anti-Semitic, because it implies the destruction of the state of Israel.
In Birmingham, protesters will stage a vigil for Palestine to 'honour our martyrs', with posts for the event saying: 'Two years of genocide, 100-years of resistance'.
At the University of Leicester, activists are expected to rally inside the institution's David Wilson Library. In Nottingham, a protest is due to take place at 5pm in Old Market Square to mark 'two years of resistance' and to 'honour our martyrs'.
Students at the University of Leeds are also set to hold a protest after declaring 'long live the intifada' - a call to violently overthrow the Jewish state.
But Jewish group have lashed out at the protests, which they branded 'disgusting' and 'deeply offensive' to those mourning the loss of relatives in Israel.
Isaac Zarfati, executive director of StandWithUs UK, said Jewish students have been subjected to 'vile' levels of 'Jew hate, intimidation, ostracisation, and even violent assault' over the past two years and condemned today's rallies.
Mr Zarfati warned a recent report conducted by StandWithUS UK, showed Jewish students in Britain now faced 'terrifying levels of racism... day in, day out and it shows no sign of abating even following the terrible events in Manchester'.
'The deliberate scheduling of 'resistance' events on the anniversary of Hamas's October 7 terror atrocities is particularly grotesque,' he added.
He called on the PM and education secretary to 'get a grip of rampant anti-Semitism and extremism' now seemingly raging across university campuses.
Pictured is a poster for one of the pro-Palestine marches on October 7 in Glasgow dubbed 'disgusting' by Jewish leaders in Britain
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the pro-Palestine demonstrations showed 'the same hatred that fuelled (the October 7 attacks) still festers today'.
'Israel, the world's only Jewish state, has faced hatred, war and terror since the day it was founded. And yet, it has stood strong. A beacon of democracy and resilience in the Middle East,' she said.
'But two years on from the horrific massacre on October 7, we must also be honest: the same hatred that fuelled those barbaric attacks still festers today.
'We see it in the so-called 'protests' that turn into hate marches on our streets. We hear it in chants calling to 'globalise the intifada'. And we saw it again, tragically, in the appalling terrorist attack on our Jewish community right here in Manchester just last week.'
She added: 'It is shameful that in recognising Palestine as a state, the Government has rewarded the terrorists that perpetrated the 7th October atrocities.
'Appeasement does not work. There are still 48 hostages held captive in Gaza. They must come home now.'
Earlier, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson pleaded with students thinking of joining pro-Palestinian protests to 'pause' and 'show some humanity'.
Ms Phillipson told Sky News: 'There is, of course, within our country the fundamental right to protest. It's a cornerstone of our democracy.
'But my message is that, as we remember the awful atrocities that took place two years ago on October 7, I would just encourage those considering taking part in protests to pause, to reflect and to understand the deep sense of loss that many people in our country will be experiencing today, not least given the appalling attacks we saw at Manchester last week.
'So my message is that whilst you might have the right to protest, I would urge people to show some humanity, to show some respect and to understand the deep sense of grief and loss that many Jewish people in our country will be experiencing today.'
However, shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick branded the marches and students taking part in them 'a f****** disgrace'.
He told a fringe event at the Tory party conference: 'I heard today that there are protests being scheduled in universities for October the 7th - that's a f****** disgrace.
'I would say first and foremost to people, our fellow citizens who are thinking of doing that, show some common decency.'
If organisers refuse to call off such protests then a change in the law to consider the 'cumulative impact' should be considered, he said, noting Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has already taken steps towards this.
Ms Mahmood said repeated large-scale protests had caused 'considerable fear' for the Jewish community, as she pledged to give police greater powers to restrict protests.
The Government will amend Sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 to explicitly allow the police to take account of the cumulative impact of frequent protests on local areas in order to impose conditions on public processions and assemblies.
The Home Secretary will also review existing legislation to ensure powers are sufficient and are being applied consistently by police forces - this will include powers to ban protests outright.
