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Click here to watch: Anti-Israel riot erupts at London university
A violent riot by anti-Israel activists at a leading London university has left Jewish students shocked and concerned about their safety on campus, and ended in at least one Jewish student being physically assaulted.
Police were called to Kings College London University on Tuesday night, after a speech by former Shin Bet chief Ami Ayalon was attacked with shocking violence by pro-Palestinian groups.
Ironically, Ayalon - who was brought to London by the controversial liberal Jewish group Yachad - is an ardent left-wing campaigner and advocate of Israeli concessions to the Palestinians.
Security was already tight in anticipation of protests and hecklers - which commonly target pro-Israel events at London university campuses - but organizers say they were completely unprepared for the level of violence and intimidation they faced.
Anti-Israel activists from Kings' "Action Palestine" student group, as well as activists from other London universities, hurled chairs at people attending and set off fire alarms in the building more than a dozen times in order to disrupt the event.
After eventually being forced to leave the room, the extremists then proceeded to chant loudly and bang on the windows of the venue, smashing one and leaving many of those present visibly terrified.
One student, Esther Endfield, has submitted a criminal complaint after being physically assaulted. In a Facebook post, she described "crying hysterically for over half an hour because I was so terrified."
The event was hosted by Kings' Israel Society, and was jointly organized with the Israel Society at the London School of Economics (LSE). LSE Israel Society co-chair David Tamman described the "violent intimidation" in a Facebook post accompanying footage from the event, which shows Ayalon forging on with his speech as fire alarms blare, while anti-Israel activists thump on the door and chant outside.
Tamman described his "bitter feelings of frustration and upset" at the attack, which he said illustrated both the extremism of pro-Palestinian groups, as well as the lack of the kind of "safe space" for Jews who support Israel as is afforded to other students.
Of the roughly 200 people who turned up to attend, only a few dozen were able to fit into the small room granted to the Israel Society for "security reasons."
After prolonged violence and despite the protesters being distanced from the building by police, the event was forced to end half an hour early due to security concerns. "Protecting the free speech of violent protesters violated the free speech of Ami, a man who merely wanted to engage in dialogue with a receptive audience. This is a sad state of affairs. What about his freedom to speak? What about our freedom to listen?"
Source: Arutz Sheva
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