Protest has taken different shapes and sizes on Strand this spring — from noisy demonstrations and disruptions to simple yellow ribbons. Roar brings you a recap of the largest protests at King’s College London (KCL) since the start of the year and what caused them.
This article was originally published in print on 14 March 2025.
The Background
Dr Rana Baker, a Palestinian lecturer, was accused of disseminating Hamas propaganda in her History of the Modern Middle East class. The allegations came after a student recorded part of her seminar last spring, claiming Dr Baker was using Hamas materials to push anti-semitism.
Based on the recording, Jewish Chronicle and the Daily Mail published articles criticising KCL’s handling of the situation. The student told the Mail that the University was trying to ‘silence’ the allegations. KCL started investigating the case and the review is ongoing.
13 February
The University College Union and KCL Stands for Justice (KCL S4J) staged a demonstration in support of Dr Baker, which was met with a counter-protest from pro-Israel student societies and external counter-protestors.
One student from Queen Mary University said: “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.”
There was a large police presence separating the groups. Dr Baker also attended the demonstration. Her supporters accused KCL of failing to protect “the only female Gazan academic at this University” from “baseless and racist allegations.”
19 February
Hundreds of yellow ribbons appeared on Strand campus in support of the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza. The ribbons, tied to trees, fences, bicycle racks and benches, symbolise the campaign to return all 250 hostages held by Hamas after the attack on 7 October 2023. Some 1,200 people were killed in the massacre, which triggered a war with Israel, resulting in the deaths of over 48,000 Palestinians.
25 February
London pro-Israel student societies demonstrated at Strand in condemnation of Dr Rana Baker. This prompted Jewish student groups opposing Zionism to stage a counter-protest alongside pro-Palestine students and staff members.
The anti-Baker protestors included various UK anti-semitism including Stop The Hate and Zionist groups and the controversial, far-right group Betar UK. Protesters brought orange balloons and flyers that read ‘Ban.Rana.Baker.’
A spokesperson for the Students Supporting Israel movement said: “We protested to expose the extremist indoctrination of students – and the growing hostility toward Jewish students.”
When speaking about Dr Baker, a supportive senior academic said she “is an exemplary scholar, respected by her peers, loved by her students, and targeted simply because she is a Palestinian from Gaza and because she shows integrity and courage.”
Both sides alleged violence, but the Metropolitan Police told Roar that no arrests had been made at the protest.
28 February
A dozen pro-Palestine students disrupted an event with an Iranian pro-Israel speaker, causing all attendees to leave mid-event. The talk with Faezeh Alavi, hosted by the King’s Geopolitics Forum and Jewish societies from across London universities, was interrupted by a heckler who questioned why the speaker made no mention of Palestine.
“I felt it my duty to support [the disruptor],” said one of the protestors.
“I maintained my right to oppose the atrocities in the Israeli regime,” she added.
The disruptors were not affiliated with any society at KCL.
“Tonight at King’s College, I felt as if I were under Islamic regime occupation again,” Alavi wrote on X.
Later, Alavi told Roar that she believes “there are extremists who are silencing the voices of Muslims and do not want to see a prosperous Middle East.”
KCL is investigating the disruption.
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