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Met Police urge students to move 7 October protest
Police say 300 students are expected to march through central London and warn the timing could distress Jewish students and staff.
The Metropolitan Police urged organizers to reschedule a student march planned for Wednesday, October 7, marking the third anniversary of the 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman stated the march would cause distress on what many Londoners consider "a day of mourning," while the force has been unable to identify organizers behind the University of London Coalition.
Around 300 students are expected to march from King's College London to University College London, prompting police to engage universities over Community Security Trust findings on rising antisemitic incidents at UK campuses.
Although the march does not meet the legal threshold for a ban, Harman warned police will use their "full powers" to impose "appropriate conditions" on route and timing if the event proceeds.
The Met is deploying more than 600 officers to manage concurrent protests throughout the week, with Harman describing the policing alongside the Holborn and St Pancras by-election as a "challenge for policing.