Students defy Keir Starmer's call to cancel Gaza protests on 7 October

Hundreds of students marched through central London to protest the war in Gaza, defying calls from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to cancel the demonstration. The protest occurred on October 7, 2025, the second anniversary of the Hamas-led attack on Israel and the subsequent war. Starmer had labeled the planned protests "un-British" and disrespectful, but students proceeded with the march, condemning what they termed a "genocide" and their universities' complicity. Protesters chanted slogans and described it as their duty to stand against the conflict and Britain's alleged involvement.