The University of Glasgow is investigating students who were allegedly \u201ccelebrating\u201d the October 7th Hamas-led attacks on Israel during a pro-Palestine protest.<\/p>\n
If the students said to be involved have breached the code of conduct, the university has pledged to take disciplinary action against them.<\/p>\n
The group gathered in the university\u2019s cloisters after an Instagram post by the Glasgow University Justice for Palestine Society (GUJPS) called for demonstrators to \u201ccelebrate the glorious Al-Aqsa Flood\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Al-Aqsa Flood is the name given by Hamas to the October 7th attacks, and the university has since condemned the demonstration, calling the alleged glorification of violence \u201cabhorrent\u201d.<\/p>\n
There are mounting concerns from Jewish students over what they have described as a \u201cnormalisation of antisemitism\u201d on campus, following the protest in the historic Gilbert Scott building on the second anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks.<\/p>\n
\n<\/blockquote>\nIn an Instagram post, the Glasgow University Justice for Palestine Society (GUJPS) described the October 7th attack as \u201cthe glorious Al-Aqsa Flood which permanently crippled the Zionist entity.\u201d<\/p>\n
The post\u2019s caption continued: \u201cWhilst we commemorate two years of genocide with over 680,000 Palestinians in Gaza killed, we celebrate the glorious Al-Aqsa Flood which permanently crippled the Zionist entity, putting it into a state of slow but inevitable collapse.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe honour the resistance which has led the path for our people\u2019s liberation, and fought tirelessly against the most technologically advanced army, yet remain steadfast and undefeated.\u201d<\/p>\n
The number cited in the post\u2014 680,000 Palestinians allegedly killed \u2014 is ten times higher than figures claimed by the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.<\/p>\n
The Al-Aqsa Flood is the name given by Hamas, a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK, to the October 7th attacks. The society\u2019s language has been widely condemned by Jewish and pro-Israeli groups as glorifying terrorism and inciting hatred.<\/p>\n
In another video circulated by the society, students can be heard chanting \u201cLong Live the Intifada\u201d\u2014 a slogan referring to Palestinian uprisings against Israel, but one that many Jewish students view<\/a> as a violent call to arms.<\/p>\n
The group also held banners reading \u201cGlory to our Martyrs\u201d.<\/p>\n
The university has been accused of failing to address Jewish students\u2019 fears<\/p>\n
Some students attending the demonstration and others like it insisted the protests were not antisemitic. However, Jewish students\u00a0have since accused the university administration of failing to adequately address their fears.<\/p>\n
David Duncan, the university\u2019s secretary and deputy vice-chancellor, has written to the GUJPS demanding that they \u201cremove the post and repudiate its sentiments.\u201d The university confirmed to The Times<\/a> that disciplinary proceedings could follow.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe uphold the right of all members of the university community to engage in peaceful protest. \u00a0However, where identified individuals are found to have breached the code of conduct, we will take disciplinary action,\u201d a spokesperson from the university said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMoreover, we will not hesitate to call the police where individuals on campus are believed to be breaking the law.\u201d<\/p>\n
The \u201cGlory to our Martyrs\u201d banner, written in both English and Arabic, also sparked criticism from Jewish and pro-Israeli groups, who argued that the language appeared to celebrate terrorism.<\/p>\n
Whilst Palestinians and their supporters sometimes use the term \u201cshaheed\u201d (martyr) to refer to victims of the conflict, the reference to \u201ccelebrating the Al-Aqsa Flood\u201d was viewed by many as direct support for a terror act.<\/p>\n
In what appeared to be a reference to Hamas\u2014an acronym for the \u201cIslamic Resistance Movement\u201d\u2014the society wrote<\/a>: \u201cWe honour the resistance which has led the path for our people\u2019s liberation and fought tirelessly against the most technologically advanced army, yet remain steadfast and undefeated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some Jewish students say they feel like \u2018a target\u2019<\/p>\n
Jewish students have previously expressed fears over pro-Palestine demonstrations on campus. One student told The Tab Glasgow: \u201cIt\u2019s becoming harder to feel comfortable when protests cross into glorifying violence. There\u2019s a big difference between supporting Palestinian rights and celebrating attacks on civilians.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another Jewish student, who asked to remain anonymous, said: \u201cI\u2019m scared to wear my Star of David necklace around campus now. It feels like being visibly Jewish makes you a target.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe university keeps saying they stand with us, but when people chant things that call for violence against Jews and nothing happens, it\u2019s hard to believe that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Laura Schosloff, the sister of Bernard Cowan\u2014a Scottish man killed in the October 7th attack\u2014said she was appalled by the protest.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re celebrating the deaths of 1,200 people who were massacred in Israel. It\u2019s totally unacceptable. No death should ever be celebrated,\u201d she told<\/a> The Times. \u201cI just see a lot of hatred, not just towards Israel but towards the Jewish people. We should be able to live together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Louis Danker, president of the Union of Jewish Students (UJS), said the incident reflects a wider national problem. He warned that antisemitism has become \u201cnormalised\u201d across UK campuses since the Hamas attacks.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor two years now, the activities of Hamas have been justified and glorified on campus,\u201d he said<\/a>. \u201cWe cannot allow this behaviour to become the norm.\u201d<\/p>\n
The UJS has launched its \u201cStand Against Terror\u201d campaign, urging universities to enforce codes of conduct, discipline staff who endorse extremism, and bring in Jewish-led training on antisemitism.<\/p>\n
A University of Glasgow spokesperson said: \u201cThe university\u2019s priority is the safety and wellbeing of our students and colleagues.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe oppose hate and harassment in all forms and ask all members of our community to treat each another with courtesy and respect.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe university fully recognises the concerns of Jewish students. Senior managers are in regular contact with the university\u2019s Jewish Society as well as with Jewish members of staff and leaders of the Jewish community in Scotland.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018People are angry because they see what\u2019s happening in Gaza every day \u2013 that doesn\u2019t mean they hate Jews\u2019<\/p>\n
At the University of Strathclyde, a separate rally took place on 7th October<\/a>, where organisers and protestors explicitly condemned the violence.<\/p>\n
Amina Khan, 19, a product engineering student from Glasgow who attended the Strathclyde rally, said<\/a>: \u201cWe\u2019ve organised the protest to acknowledge what happened on October 7th. We\u2019re here to say what happened was horrific and we don\u2019t support that. What we want is an end to the violence.\u201d<\/p>\n