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UK PM Sunak warns of spread in antisemitism as European protests grow

May 9

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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak took a stand against antisemitism on university campuses on Thursday, May 9. Sunak met with university leaders to address concerns about disruptions to learning due to possible antisemitic abuse amid pro-Palestinian protests.

Sunak emphasized the importance of protecting freedom of speech while ensuring that universities remain places of tolerance and safety.

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Pro-Palestinian protests sprung up at about a dozen U.K. universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, prompting worries among some Jewish students about antisemitism. To tackle the issue, Sunak announced additional funding to support Jewish students and summoned vice chancellors from top universities to discuss efforts to combat antisemitism.

Specifically, Sunak announced that the government would provide an additional $623,000 to the University Jewish Chaplaincy Service to support Jewish students. The organization provides support for Jewish students at more than 100 universities in the U.K.

Meanwhile, across Europe, campus protests by pro-Palestinian activists spread. Some called on universities to cut academic ties with Israel over the war in Gaza. In Dublin, Ireland, Trinity College students ended a peaceful protest after the institution agreed to divest from Israeli companies that the United Nations said had links to settlements in occupied Palestinian territories.

In Berlin, German police broke up a protest at Free University Berlin. Meanwhile, in Amsterdam, protesters occupied a university building, leading police to intervene. Similar protests popped up in Finland, Denmark, Italy, Spain, France and Britain.

In the United States, police have taken action against pro-Palestinian protesters as well. At the University of Chicago, authorities cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment. The move comes as police dismantled many other encampments across the country.

More than 34,000 Palestinians died since the start of Israel-Hamas war, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry.

Israel vowed to wipeout Hamas in response to the Oct. 7, terrorist attack, which killed 1,200 Israelis and saw Hamas militants kidnap around 250 people.

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[KARAH RUCKER]

AS PRO-PALESTINIAN ENCAMPMENTS ARE DISMANTLED AT UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE U-S EUROPE IS SEEING A WAVE OF PRO-PALESTINIAN ACTIVISTS SETTING UP BASES ON CAMPUSES.

IN RESPONSE, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER RISHI SUNAK IS RAISING THE ALARM ABOUT A POTENTIAL RISE IN ANTI-SEMITISM AS THE PROTESTS SPREAD. 

SUNAK MET WITH UNIVERSITY LEADERS TO ADDRESS CONCERNS ABOUT ANTI SEMITISM AT EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AMID THE DEMONSTRATIONS.

SUNAK EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTING FREE SPEECH WHILE ENSURING UNIVERSITIES REMAIN PLACES OF TOLERANCE.

PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTS HAVE SPRUNG UP AT ABOUT A DOZEN U-K UNIVERSITIES.

INCLUDING OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE. 

PROMPTING WORRIES AMONG SOME JEWISH STUDENTS ABOUT ANTI SEMITISM. 

TO TACKLE THE ISSUE, SUNAK ANNOUNCED 623-THOUSAND DOLLARS WILL BE GIVEN TO THE UNIVERSITY JEWISH CHAPLAINCY SERVICE, WHICH PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR JEWISH STUDENTS AT MORE THAN 100 UNIVERSITIES IN THE UK.

SOME PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS HAVE CALLED ON UNIVERSITIES TO CUT ACADEMIC TIES WITH ISRAEL OVER THE WAR IN GAZA. 

IN DUBLIN, TRINITY COLLEGE STUDENTS ENDED A PROTEST AFTER THE COLLEGE AGREED TO DIVEST FROM ISRAELI COMPANIES THE U-N SAID HAS LINKS TO SETTLEMENTS IN OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES. 

IN BERLIN, POLICE BROKE UP A PROTEST AT FREE UNIVERSITY.

WHILE IN AMSTERDAM PROTESTERS OCCUPIED A UNIVERSITY BUILDING LEADING TO A POLICE RESPONSE.

DEMONSTRATIONS HAVE ALSO OCCURRED IN FINLAND, DENMARK, ITALY, SPAIN, AND FRANCE.

THE EVENTS IN EUROPE FOLLOW SIMILAR ACTION IN THE U-S, WHERE POLICE HAVE INTERVENED IN PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTS.

AT THE UNVERSITY OF CHICAGO, A PRO-PALESTINIAN ENCAMPMENT WAS CLEARED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT. 

SIMILAR ENCAMPMENTS IN CITIES ACROSS THE U-S. SAW DISRUPTIONS AND VIOLENCE BETWEEN PROTESTERS AND COUNTER-PROTESTERS, FORCING POLICE TO RESPOND. 

MORE THAN 34-THOUSAND PALESTINIANS HAVE DIED SINCE THE START OF ISRAEL’S WAR AGAINST HAMAS, ACCORDING TO THE HAMAS-CONTROLLED GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY.

ISRAEL HAS VOWED TO WIPEOUT HAMAS IN RESPONSE TO THE OCTOBER 7TH TERROR ATTACK, WHICH KILLED 12-HUNDRED ISRAELIS AND SAW HAMAS MILITANTS KIDNAP AROUND 250 PEOPLE.

FOR MORE STORIES ON THE WAR IN GAZA AND CAMPUS PROTESTS–

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