Jewish Chronicle reports activists attacked at school celebrating 'Israel Apartheid Week'
An activist with the pro-Israel Stand With Us organization was attacked Sunday at a London university, the Jewish Chronicle reported. He was taken to the hospital after being beaten and bitten on the cheek, his companions said.
The four activists decided to visit the School of Oriental and African Studies after learning of a pro-Palestinian event set to take place there in honor of "Israel Apartheid Week".
Two of them – Tony Coren and Gili Brenner – went inside to speak with students. "We had placards and some information packs, and we had some very interesting and civilized discussions," Coren told the Chronicle.
But then a man spouting anti-Semitic remarks approached the activists. "He said that the best thing the Jews had ever done was to go into the gas chambers," Coren said. The activist then asked if he could film the man, who Coren said replied "yes" adding that "these things should be heard."
However, one of the man's friends appeared to take offense at this and attacked the activist, snatched his camera, and punched him. He also bit him on the cheek.
The brawl was halted by security guards. "A number of other people then began to say we shouldn't be there. The president of the union came out and said we had made our point. A policeman strongly advised us to leave," Coren said.
He added that although he was not surprised at the violence directed towards them, he disliked the fact that the school had insinuated that the activists had caused it simply by being present.
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