Opposite the University of Leeds student union, a growing number of tents on the lawn speak of a fault line opening not just on campus but in wider society.
Some of the tents are covered with Palestinian flags, while the entrance is covered with a piece of cardboard that spells out the group’s demands.
Among these requests, the student protesters are calling for their university to sever ties with Israeli universities, while also ending its links to BAE Systems, a weapons manufacturer that supplies the country’s forces.
As students move around the camp, Nico, a second-year music student, explains their actions and intentions, telling me that the movement is “overwhelmingly peaceful.”
“I can’t speak for everyone, but we are a very diverse group of people and we all have our own experiences with different types of oppression.
“I think Palestine It’s an issue that many of us care about because it resonates with so many of us and it’s just not part of our student movement.”
Nico is accompanied by Issy, an English and Classics student who says that the protest, which sees around 20 to 30 people camped out overnight, should be open to everyone.
“For students who may feel intimidated by the space we’ve created. I would like to remind you that we are a welcoming space. We are an educational space. We want to bring people in and make the community here as inclusive as we can possibly be” , she says.
Music student Nico (L) says the movement is “extremely peaceful,” while Issy (R) wants the camp to be “inclusive.”
Jewish students want to make their voices heard
Late in the afternoon, a few footsteps on the other side of the road reminded me that middle ground is hard to find for many campuses across the country.
Joel, a Jewish student wearing a yarmulke, arrives draped in the Israeli flag. He says that due to the increasing cases of anti-Semitism he has experienced on campus and in the city, he wants to make his voice heard.
He says that in recent months he has had his apartment vandalized when his details were shared online and also claims to have heard anti-Semitic chants and tropes on campus.
When I ask if he’s tried to start a dialogue with the group camped across the street, he says it’s been a struggle.
“Every time my friends or I try to have an open dialogue with them, a group of them comes and walks away,” he says. “Every time they can’t answer your question, they just walk away.”
Joel, a Jewish student, says he experienced anti-Semitism on campus
Joel’s sentiments are also shared by Emma Levy, president of Leeds University Jewish Society, which months ago said it hoped to open a dialogue on campus in its role as head of a student society.
Now sitting in the sun with the camp behind her, she feels the answer has to come from those in power, both in universities and in government.
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“It’s very difficult, because we try to create these dialogue groups. And every time we do something, it gets shut down. I hope that when the war calms down, it also calms down on campus, because there’s always a direct correlation,” she said .
Emma called on university vice-chancellors to take care of students
“I would say [to those in power] take over control. Vice-chancellors of universities have a responsibility to look after all students.”
In response to concerns raised by both Jewish students and pro-Palestinian protesters, a spokesperson for the University of Leeds referred us to a statement from Universities UK (UUK), which represents the higher education sector.
UUK chief executive Vivienne Stern said: “Universities have taken the rise in antisemitism on campuses since 7 October very seriously and will continue to work hard to ensure the safety of Jewish staff and students.
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“The current conflict has increased tensions in many communities and we have been clear that there is no place for intolerance on our campuses.
“In line with the sector’s clear commitment to freedom of expression, it is important that universities allow and support students and staff to debate and discuss this crisis, and the challenging issues it raises, but within the law, and with respect and tolerance”.
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