Counter-protestors from around London reacted to a scheduled University and College Union (UCU) and King’s College London Stands 4 Justice (KCL S4J) demonstration.
Many came to support the counter-protest in denouncement of Dr Rana Baker, a Palestinian lecturer in the History of the Modern Middle East at KCL. Many protestors were drawn in opposition to her continued employment at the University, following allegations that she expressed terrorist sympathies.
In March 2024, one of her former students recorded her during a seminar and shared that recording with external media outlets, including the Jewish Chronicle. The outlets claimed that, based on the recording, she was disseminating Hamas propaganda to her class.
Other students from that class have disagreed with the accusation. One student stressed that she did not isolate pro-Israeli expression in her seminars:
Rana always allowed the student [who recorded the video] to voice their opinions fully without cutting them off, ensuring they had the space to express their views.
In response to the allegations, KCL launched an investigation into Dr Baker. She continues to work and teach at the University.
The Pro-Palestine Demonstrators
One student told Roar they were intimidated by counter-protestors, reportedly being called a “sh**stain.” The student claimed the behaviour was “disgusting”, from “grown adults coming to a student campus and pushing these horrible views.”
Members of the pro-Palestine demonstration stood on the ledge outside the Strand Building with megaphones and a poster saying ‘Killer’s College London’. They decried KCL for what they saw as a failure to protect “the only female Gazan academic at this University” during their investigation into what they claimed were “baseless and racist allegations.”
Roar is not aware of any formal sanctions being place against Dr Rana Baker since the investigation began.
The crowd came out in support of Dr Baker began chanting ‘Rana!’. They accused the counter-protestors of ‘dancing on the graves’ of killed Palestinians, in reference to the music and dancing of their opponents, chanting ‘shame!’.
Dr Baker was present in the crowd. In response to surprise around her appearance in such an atmosphere, she admitted to Roar “I would have come anyways.”
Protestors led chants of ‘Free, free, free Palestine’ and ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’. One member of the group scaled a nearby lamppost to wave the Palestinian flag.
A large police presence separated the groups. A spokesperson from KCL S4J confirmed to Roar that this was at their request, following a previous protest where external activists were reportedly “walking up to protestors and blowing horns in their faces”.
The Pro-Israel Counter-Protest
Leading up to the protest, flyers were digitally circulated featuring a red X marked over Dr Baker’s face with the flag of Israel and the Union Jack.
Similar emblems were present at the protest itself. Israeli, Union Jack and Italian flags were waved alongside the Nova Musical Festival logo, in reference to the concert attacked by Hamas on 7 October.
Some members held posters calling on King’s to ‘Ban Rana Baker, Protect Your Jewish Students’. Another disseminated poster stated ‘Be Aware, This Seminar Might Be Antisemitic.’
The counter-protest included a large speaker, where activists danced, chanted and clapped to music. At one point, ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ by Queen was played.
One student protestor, who came from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), expressed:
“Our motto is now ‘Stop Teaching Terror’ and we want to put an end to that. It makes students feel uncomfortable, unwelcome and it’s just not the right thing to do.”
The counter-protestors represented a mixed group of pro-Israeli and anti Jewish hate organisations, including Stop the Hate, the self-described “largest Jewish-led direct action group”. Roar can confirm that the grassroots organisation was invited by a senior committee member for the King’s College London Jewish Society.
Students Supporting Israel (SSI), a “pro-Israel international campus movement”, was also present. Protestors from the London School of Economics (LSE) and Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) were also in attendance.
Students were not blocked from entering and exiting campus. Roar is not aware of any physical violence during the protests.
