British-Jewish student groups raised concern about their safety at the University of Birmingham on Thursday after anti-Israel protesters raised banners calling for “Zionists off our campus.”
The Union of Jewish Students and Birmingham Jewish Society said that the Wednesday protest protesters harassed Jewish students and called for “death to Zionists.”
“We’re scared and we’re heartbroken,” the groups said in a joint statement. “This antisemitic hatred has been allowed to fester on our campus for too long. The University of Birmingham must take action now.”
The Campaign Against Antisemitism responded to the incident on X by noting that the vast majority of Jews consider themselves Zionists, making the call one of expulsion for Jewish students from campus.
Labour Against Antisemitism said that “This anti-Jewish coded language has been allowed to spread its toxic hate into our society for too long.”
“The hate being displayed at Birmingham University and across the country must stop,” LAAS said in a statement on Friday. “Students are being openly bullied and harassed, shoppers in supermarkets are being intimidated when they buy kosher food.”
Protests held across the UK
Protests were held across the United Kingdom on Wednesday as part of the Stand With Gaza workplace day of action, which was joined by trade unionists in media, education, civil service and more. Multiple campuses saw rallies as part of the event organized by Stop the War Coalition.
Stop the War said it “saw an unprecedented level of activity across the country with walkouts, protests, meetings, workshops, cake sales and more showing solidarity with the Palestinian people. Thousands of people joined actions in hundreds of workplaces as the push to take the struggle for freedom and justice for Palestine into the workplace witnessed a substantial escalation.”
Another day of action was held on Saturday, in which Stop the War, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign called for an immediate “full ceasefire,” and to “stop the genocide in Gaza.”
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