Leeds students rally against university’s Zionist allegiances

On  17 March 2026, students gathered outside Leeds University to protest their institution’s continued affiliation with the forces waging genocide in Gaza and the West Bank. Stationed in front of the student union, they basked in the spring sunshine, determined to make their voices heard.

A beautiful day to be in Leeds!

As I arrived I was surprised to find a hostile neighbourhood auditor skulking around. Another arrived shortly after. 

A creep with a bad camera, watching live streams of young women on campus on a Tuesday lunchtime and stalking students on campus—is no one’s idea of normal. These people are fucking weirdos.

At one point, university security staff were seen chatting casually with auditors on camera for their live streams.

This was after one of the auditors had earlier attempted to intimidate a student.

Questions need to be raised about why they’re allowed to behave in such a manner on university grounds. Yet, even this couldn’t dampen the sunny spirits of the protesting students.

A university apparently wedded to Zionism

The protest was sparked by the university’s invitation to BlackRock Asset Management for an upcoming job fair. For those unaware, the company’s affiliate, Blackrock, is a major investor in defense and aerospace companies, with well-documented ties to Israel. Students have every right to question the inclusion of such a company in the event.

Blackrock, according to the UN, is best known as the largest investor in companies linked to, and complicit in the genocide in gaza. Blackrock and its affiliates are invested heavily in companies such as Lockheed Martin (7%) which create weapons that kill people. As well they hold stakes in companies such as Alphabet (6.6%). Palantir (8.6%), and Amazon (6.6%). Tech companies sell software and capabilities which are used by the IDF to target whoever they decide to call a terrorist today.

The normalisation of their presence at university events, despite their complicity in the ongoing genocide, has sparked anger on campuses across the country for years. These concerns have been reflected in demands made by students at various universities, both during and since the encampment movement.

A crisis of trust

This is not an isolated event. Leeds University has been embroiled in repeated accusations of platforming Zionists on campus.

In 2024 freedom of information requests revealed hundreds of thousands of pounds of investment into businesses directly contributing to apartheid and genocide in occupied Palestine. This happened despite the university’s 2018 declaration that it had divested from the companies enabling the Gaza genocide.

They have also been accused of sheltering a Chaplain who left the university to serve in the Israeli Defence Forces, whose war crimes have been live-streamed for the past two years. Rabbi Zecharia Deutsch was allowed to continue in his role as Chaplain when he returned from Israeli, and even after Jewish students complained about his extremist, Zionist posturing.

It has been a busy week for student activists who also disrupted Chancellor, Rachel Reeves’ visit to campus earlier in the week.

Not only has the university consistently failed to address students concerns properly, they have even gone so far as using the university’s disciplinary processes to repress student dissent on campus. Suffian, a masters student and local campaigner spoke to me about his experiences at the university.

Blackrock — frit!

University security were clearly rattled, calling the police and keeping their distance at the steps of the union. It turns out they weren’t the only ones. Blackrock decided to avoid any negative publicity and cancelled their planned appearance. Direct action works!

I’ve never understood people who think protest and reputational risk aren’t powerful tools.

Universities across the UK are failing to live up to basic expectations held by their student population—the very students whose fees keep the lights on.

Our high streets host banks that profit when children die on the other side of the world. Fast food chains allow their franchisees in Israel to feed IDF soldiers—soldiers found by medics to be intentionally using children as target practice. Amazon vans roll around innocently, all while aiding the targeting of civilians in an illegal occupation, between deliveries. Where does it end?!

Universities have a responsibility to do better and we stand in solidarity with all students standing up for their rights on university campuses—both in Leeds and beyond.

Featured images via Barold