‘Kikes out’ and ‘Up Hamas’ scrawled on walls in Manchester University union building

“It took emailing the union, the university, and security before they removed the ‘up Hamas’ graffiti,” Bartlett said.

A religion and theology student originally from York, Bartlett wears a yarmulke and a Star of David. Last week, a fellow student shouted “Free Palestine” at him.

Many months after October 7, Bartlett said that Manchester University campus “still feels like a very hostile environment.”

“Jewish students have lost faith in the university to tackle antisemitism”, Bartlett said.

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Manchester Jewish Society’s vice-president, Kinneret Lauer, said that the JSoc has met Student Union officials, but “for a lot of Jewish students, they haven’t seen the SU’s support. Support for Jewish students is seen as controversial.”

On Friday, the university and union put out a joint statement about the graffiti.

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Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of the university and Ben Ward, CEO of the Students’ Union said: “We are deeply disturbed to see antisemitic graffiti appear within the Students’ Union toilets. It was removed immediately and has been reported to the police. Anyone we can identify who has contributed may face criminal prosecution.”