16.11.12
Clashes broke out on campus yesterday after protests by the Palestinian Solidarity Group (PSG) and Zionist Israeli students spiraled into chaos.
Students from PSG and the Jewish Society (JSoc) organised separate protests in different locations, but University security and the police were forced to intervene as tensions between the groups grew.
It is understood that University Security had initially given permission for a small protest outside the Parkinson building, but said that both groups would not be allowed to hold rallies there on safety grounds.
Though the two demonstrations began peacefully, tensions arose after a number of rogue Zionists split from the original JSoc protest and approached Palestinian supporters outside the Parkinson building. JSoc stressed that they did not endorse or support these actions.
Antony Haddley, the Union’s Affairs officer, commented: “It is paramount that there is a balance between the right to protest and the right not to feel threatened by activity on campus, and students should feel that they can explore and engage with issues in a safe environment. As ever, I urge all groups to consider the consequences of their protests and actions on the welfare of others who share the same space”.
One third year English student who saw the events unfold said “walking past the Parkinson Building after my lecture, the atmosphere wasn’t necessarily threatening for an onlooker, but you could tell that those involved were getting more and more heated by the events.”
PSG initially organised the action to protest against a recent Israeli air strikes that this week killed a Hamas leader. In response to PSG’s action, JSoc organised a counter demonstration to take place near the Union. Suhayl Zulfiquar, a second year Politics and Philosophy student and PSG member, told Leeds Student: “We organised [the protest] to express solidarity with Gazans who are currently being bombed in the Gaza strip. We find Israel’s actions absolutely abhorrent”.
Zulfiquar added that he thought JSoc’s protest was “nothing short of ridiculous”, adding “it’s so upsetting when we are trying to outline a humanitarian problem, to then politicise it and make it a case of us versus them – Israel versus Palestinians”.
Student Lucy Cohen, a JSoc committee member who helped organise protest told Leeds Student: “A few Zionist members of the LUU community came together and organised a protest outside the main entrance today. We wanted to show on campus that we believe that Israel has the right to defend itself from the rockets that constantly fly into places surrounding Gaza, and we also wanted to say that we hoped to move towards peace and not war”.
Words: James Greenhalgh
Photo: Leo Garbutt