Pro-Palestine and Pro-Israel Protesters Face off on October 7 Anniversary
Last update: October 8, 2026
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Three years on from the deadliest day in modern Israeli Palestinian history, the streets of central London turned into a shouting match between grief, anger and solidarity.
It got tense in central London on Wednesday, on the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks, a pro Palestine march organised by the University of London Coalition, which brings together students from across the capital, came face to face with Israeli counter protesters.
Footage obtained by CBI News shows people draped in Israeli flags shouting scum and terrorists at the pro-Palestine crowd, who chant back Palestine will be free. Police officers are seen stepping between the two groups and detaining several protesters. At one point, a mobile advertising van drives through,h showing photographs of two babies and a woman with the words kidnapped on 7th October, murdered by terrorists.
For many of the students, this is about solidarity with Gaza. For the families and supporters on the other side, it is about remembering loved ones killed or taken on that day. That van with the babies faces really summed up how personal and raw this still feels for everyone.
On October 7 2023, Hamas-led gunmen attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. It was the deadliest attack on Israel in decades and triggered a war that has reshaped the Middle East.
Israel responded with a full military offensive in Gaza. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed since. The United Nations and aid agencies continue to warn of a humanitarian crisis in the Strip.
The Met Police said it could not ban the pro-Palestinian march simply because it fell on the anniversary. Under British law, the right to protest is protected even when the timing is sensitive, unless there is a serious risk of disorder that cannot be managed in other ways. That balance between free speech and community tension is exactly what played out on Wednesday.
Police are expected to review footage and decide if any further action is needed. Vigils for victims of October 7 and for civilians killed in Gaza are set to continue this week across the UK. With tensions still high on campuses and in communities, both sides say more demonstrations are likely.
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