Met Police call for 7 October student march to be rescheduled

The Metropolitan Police has urged the organisers of a planned pro-Palestinian student march to change its date, as it currently falls on 7 October — exactly three years since Hamas's attack on Israel.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said police have been unable to identify who is behind the group calling itself the University of London Coalition, despite efforts through both formal and informal channels. The BBC said it had contacted the group via social media accounts apparently linked to it but had not received a response.

Around 300 students are expected to march from King's College London on the Strand to University College London in Holborn, demanding an end to what they call a genocide in Gaza. Harman noted that many Londoners will be observing the day as one of mourning, with vigils planned, and raised concerns about the impact on students and staff, particularly those who are Jewish.

Police said the march does not meet the strict legal threshold required to ask the home secretary for a ban, which applies only when serious public disorder is expected and cannot be prevented through conditions. As a result, officers are instead appealing to organisers to voluntarily reschedule.

Letters have been sent to four London universities asking them to engage with students and staff and take reasonable steps to ensure no one feels excluded or unsafe. Harman also pointed to a rise in antisemitic incidents at UK universities recorded since the 2023 attacks.

Should the march proceed, police said they would impose conditions on its route and timing, with a zero-tolerance approach toward hate crime and breaches of conditions. The coming week in London also includes a larger pro-Palestinian protest on 10 October, a march marking the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street, and a by-election, all requiring significant policing resources — the Met estimates more than 600 officers will be deployed across the various events.