October 7, 2026: Anti-Israel Extremism During Campus Protests

Overview

The third anniversary of the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel was marked by extreme anti-Israel protests, walkouts, and demonstrations across college campuses nationwide. Numerous protests featured explicit praise for October 7 and Hamas, militant imagery, and antisemitic rhetoric justifying or calling for additional violence. In some cases, demonstrations also involved vandalism or disruption of October 7 commemorations.

Three years after terrorists murdered approximately 1,200 people and abducted 251 hostages in Israel, the decision by some campus organizations to celebrate the attack on its anniversary is particularly disturbing. Rather than acknowledging the atrocities committed against civilians, these groups framed October 7 as an achievement in the struggle for Palestinian liberation. Such messaging raises serious concerns about the normalization of terrorism and the campus climate facing Jewish and Israeli students, staff and faculty.

The events also demonstrated that, despite the decline of large-scale encampments, the underlying anti-Israel campus movement — including chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine (FSJP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) — remains engaged in extreme anti-Israel activity and organizing. These groups continue to mobilize across institutions, often using similar language, promoting militant rhetoric, and demanding institutional changes. 

Universities cannot mistake a decline in large-scale protests for a decline in campus extremism. The events of October 7, 2026, underscore the need for sustained vigilance, clear leadership, and consistent enforcement of policies addressing threats, harassment, vandalism, and disruption, while protecting lawful expression. ADL’s Six Asks: Policy Actions to Counter Antisemitism on Campus provides a framework for this work, emphasizing institutional accountability, effective Title VI oversight, consistent policy enforcement, antisemitism education, and protections for Jewish students, staff, and faculty.

These commitments cannot be temporary or reactive. The third anniversary of October 7 is a stark reminder that the glorification of terrorism and antisemitic hostility remain serious campus concerns – and that universities must move beyond crisis response to sustained, consistent enforcement and accountability.

Glorification of October 7 and Violent Resistance

Some of the most alarming antisemitic incidents involved explicit celebration of the October 7 massacre and Hamas's operation, known by the terrorist group as "Al-Aqsa Flood."

• SUNY Oswego: SJP published a statement characterizing October 7 as Palestinians "[breaking] free from slavery" and celebrating the "eliminat[ion] over 1,100 settlers." The organization praised Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, encouraged students to act "by any means necessary," and called for making Zionist faculty and administrators uncomfortable.
• Penn State: The Student Committee for Defense and Solidarity and Peoples Defense Front issued a statement proclaiming "GLORY TO THE PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE! LONG LIVE AL AQSA FLOOD!" Separately, protesters marched through campus proclaiming "glory to our martyrs" and calling for revolution.
• Seattle Central College: Demonstrators shouted and chanted slogans including "long live October 7th" and "take another soldier out," while surrounding protest activity also included property damage.
• CU Boulder: SJP organized an event titled "Honoring Our Martyrs," describing October 7 as the anniversary of "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood" and a milestone in the struggle against global imperialism. Promotional materials also reportedly depicted masked individuals holding rifles.

UCLA was another prominent example, with more than 70 protesters participating in an October 7 SJP-led march. During the protest, students displayed a large banner depicting a tank breaching Israeli border barriers on October 7, while signs declared "Glory to the Martyrs. Glory to the Resistance!" Speakers praised Palestinian terrorists, invoked "Al Aqsa Flood," and called for resistance "by any means necessary." Chants included antizionist rhetoric such as "Long Live the Intifada" and "Intifada Until Victory." The event was also amplified by faculty-affiliated groups, including the UC Ethnic Studies Faculty Council and FJP.

At San José State University, an SJP-led walkout featured a speaker praising the sacrifice of the Palestinian "resistance" and calling for justice "by all means necessary."

Taken together, these incidents show how some activists have reframed October 7 from an occasion to mourn murdered civilians into a symbol of so-called resistance. While terms such as "resistance" and "martyrs" can carry different meanings that may seem innocuous, their use alongside explicit praise for Hamas's operation, its leadership, and the killing of Israelis illuminates the concerning pro-terror sentiment often underlying such expressions. The celebration of mass civilian murder as liberation represents a profound moral failure and risks legitimizing political violence within campus discourse.

Memorial Desecration and the Impact on Jewish Members of Campus Communities

The anniversary also included incidents affecting the ability of Jewish students, staff and faculty to commemorate the victims of October 7.

At the University of New Mexico, individuals were filmed kicking and trampling miniature Israeli flags that had been installed as part of a memorial to those murdered on October 7. Protesters shouted "Death to Israel" and reportedly stole and burned clothing belonging to a student.

At Wayne State, an Israeli flag and "Never Again" message painted on a campus expression rock were defaced with red paint. SJP subsequently circulated an image of the defaced message alongside a statement denouncing Israel and campus Zionists.

At Northwestern University, a fire alarm reportedly intentionally set off by a protester disrupted an October 6 performance of OCTOBER 7, a play featuring firsthand testimonies from survivors and witnesses of Hamas's massacre. The alarm forced the evacuation of the auditorium, interrupting the performance during an emotionally significant moment. 

These incidents illustrate a particularly troubling dimension of campus tensions: the targeting or disruption of commemorative expression. Students have the right to protest and express solidarity with Palestinians, but that does not justify destroying another group's memorial or interfering with its ability to mourn. The destruction of any October 7 memorial is especially painful given the nature of the atrocities being commemorated.

The wider anniversary also placed Jewish students, staff and faculty in the difficult position of commemorating a traumatic event while encountering demonstrations that, in some cases, glorified the perpetrators. At George Washington University, a student who had experienced the October 7 attack in Israel expressed distress over the timing of the campus protest: “I feared for my life, and now they have somehow decided that this is the day that they should decide to protest,” the student said. “It’s the worst possible decision.” At Michigan State, Jewish students organized a vigil and spoke about the continuing emotional impact of the massacre and concerns about antisemitism. 

Universities must protect the right to express controversial political views while ensuring that members of their campus communities can hold memorials, identify openly as Jewish or Israeli and participate in campus life without intimidation. The incidents involving memorials demonstrate why institutional responsibility extends beyond responding to large protests and includes protecting students' ordinary rights of expression, assembly, and remembrance.

Nationwide Mobilization and Persistent Militant, Antisemitic Rhetoric

Beyond explicit praise for October 7, the anniversary revealed the continued reach of anti-Israel organizing across universities and into the local community.

At Columbia, more than 70 demonstrators participated in an off-campus protest promoted by Columbia’s rebranded SJP chapter and NYC SJP, with advertisements proclaiming, "Glory to the martyrs, resistance until victory." Protesters chanted "There is only one solution; Intifada, revolution" and "Long live Hind's Hall," referencing the 2024 violent takeover of Hamilton Hall during the campus encampment. The continued celebration of past confrontational campus actions demonstrates the persistence of activist networks despite previous disciplinary measures.

At NYU, more than 100 students participated in an SJP-led off-campus October 7 walkout as part of a "Week of Rage," where speakers celebrated October 7. NYU Law SJP also advertised an event titled "Challenging Myths Around Al-Aqsa Flood," characterizing Hamas's October 7 operation as a military campaign by resistance fighters. Administrators reportedly objected that the event title could be understood as endorsing violence.

In New York City, October 7 protests also exposed divisions within progressive activist networks. NYC Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) initially endorsed a City Hall rally led by Within Our Lifetime (WOL), whose promotional materials featured an inverted red triangle and slogans including "Glory to the martyrs, victory to the resistance." However, NYC Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) leadership objected to the imagery and rhetoric as "pro-Hamas dogwhistles," as well as criticism of NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, prompting some DSA-affiliated groups to withdraw their support; while others remained steadfast in their endorsement and participation. Many other campus activists also continued promoting the rally.

Similar messaging appeared at Wayne State, where Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), SJP, the Wayne State Democrats, and other groups held a protest defending Palestinian "resistance" and demanding divestment. Organizers later declared that "Resistance is Justified." At American University, a "Week of Rage" included programming about the history of Palestinian "resistance." At CUNY City College, demonstrators displayed a large banner reading "Intifada Revolution" — and antizionist slogan used to glorify violence — alongside demands for institutional divestment. 

Campus organizations at other universities, including the University of Minnesota, University of Michigan, George Washington University, Florida International University, California State University – Northridge, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, and SUNY Binghamton, hosted demonstrations or anniversary programming focused on resistance, divestment and anti-Israel messaging. These events varied in rhetoric and conduct, and not all involved explicit support for Hamas or violence.

The broader trend is the endurance of anti-Israel organizing beyond the highly visible encampment movement of previous years. Activists are utilizing walkouts, coordinated weeks of action, teach-ins, social media campaigns, and partnerships among students, faculty, and outside organizations. The consistent use of pro-terror language at some events, alongside ongoing demands targeting university investments and academic relationships, indicates that these campaigns remain an embedded feature of campus life.

University Leadership Responses and Support for Jewish Members of Campus Communities

Several universities also demonstrated efforts to support Jewish students, staff and faculty, protect commemorative activities and enforce campus policies surrounding the anniversary.

• At Columbia, members of university leadership joined more than 500 attendees at an October 7 memorial in Low Library, while a separate campus installation displayed 800 chairs bearing photographs of victims. 
• At Duke, Jewish Life at Duke organized a campus-wide October 7 observance featuring memorial displays and opportunities for reflection. 
• At UCLA, university police and Student Affairs personnel monitored the SJP demonstration and enforced campus time, place and manner rules by directing protesters away from a restricted area. 
• At Northwestern, university police investigated the fire alarm that interrupted a performance commemorating October 7, with attendees permitted to return.
• At Haverford College, President Wendy Raymond called the timing of a planned October 7 anti-Israel event "unnecessarily hurtful" and cancelled it after organizers refused to reschedule, citing community concerns and ongoing safety risks.

These responses illustrate the importance of visible institutional leadership, meaningful support for Jewish members of campus communities and prompt, consistent action when campus safety or conduct concerns arise. They also reinforce the need for universities to move beyond statements of solidarity and ensure that protective measures and policy enforcement remain effective throughout the year.

Conclusion: Campuses Cannot Afford Complacency

The events marking the third anniversary of October 7 demonstrate that, despite a decline in some large-scale campus protests, extreme anti-Israel activism, the glorification of terrorism and antisemitic hostility remain serious concerns at colleges and universities nationwide. The willingness of certain student organizations to celebrate the Hamas-led massacre, promote militant rhetoric and imagery, and interfere with commemorations of its victims underscores the persistent challenges facing Jewish and Israeli students, staff and faculty.

Universities must not mistake smaller demonstrations for diminished extremism or allow these incidents to become normalized features of campus life. Instead, they must move beyond reactive responses and demonstrate sustained leadership through consistent enforcement of campus policies, meaningful accountability for misconduct, and robust protections for Jewish and Israeli campus communities, while safeguarding lawful expression.