A hardline student group in Leeds has openly backed “armed resistance” and urged supporters to lay siege to offices linked to what it calls the “Zionist genocidal project”.
In a shocking Instagram post still live at time of writing, leedsstudents4palestine called for a “global escalation” and praised the “heroic Resistance” fighting to “liberate Palestine from the river to the sea”.
The group urged followers to join a Saturday protest and let their “collective rage erupt”, rallying around what it described as a struggle for decolonisation, the right of return and use of force.
The post urges followers to join a “global siege against the offices of collaborators sustaining the Zionist genocidal project” and calls on them to “let our collective rage erupt”. It continues: “This is a call to strengthen unity around decolonisation, armed resistance, the right of return and self-determination.”
Arieh Miller, Chief Executive of the Union of Jewish Students (UJS), said: “This week, the group publicly called for escalation, the spread of ‘armed resistance,’ and a ‘global siege,’ using language that glorifies violence and echoes narratives associated with proscribed terrorist organisations.”
He added: “This forms part of a broader and growing pattern of intimidation, glorification of terrorism, and antisemitic imagery that Jewish students are being forced to navigate.”
Miller warned: “Inaction has consequences, and Jewish students are already paying the price. When does complacency become complicity, enabling the spread of hate and the erosion of student safety?”
The controversy follows weeks of tension on Leeds’ campus. Just last month, the president of the Leeds Palestine Solidarity Group publicly criticised the university for what he called a “weaponisation” of disciplinary procedures against pro-Palestinian activists, after being investigated for unauthorised protests and receiving a formal warning.
Conservative MP Bob Blackman told Jewish News: “It is deplorable that a Leeds University student group appears to be calling for acts of violence on the streets of the UK in support of genocidal terror groups banned in this country. Counter Terrorism Policing must urgently react to prevent loss of life. Such egregious extremism should be no surprise following the publication of StandWithUs UK’s report this week into antisemitism and open support for terrorism at British universities. Its policy recommendations must be urgently delivered by the Government.”
Andrew Gilbert, vice president of the Board of Deputies, told Jewish News: “The Jewish community has experienced constant intimidation from groups like this. Many are fuelled by Iranian proxies. The incessant protests do nothing to contribute to bringing peace to the region. They are sadly damaging our society. We hope that the police impose stringent conditions.”
He added: “When we met with Dan Jarvis, the extremism minister, we were relieved to hear that the Home Office are already focused on groups like this, and we, and CST, will continue to pressure for government action.”
A spokesperson for the Community Security Trust (CST) said: “CST has reported the protest to the police and we hope that they take the correct action, including over language about ‘armed protest’.”
Jewish News has contacted the University of Leeds, West Yorkshire Police, and the group itself for comment.
