Leeds student group glorifies Jerusalem gun attack with ‘legendary Carlo’ posts
Instagram page linked to Leeds Students 4 Palestine shared images of weapon hours after six Israelis murdered
A social media account connected to Leeds Students 4 Palestine has been found to have posted a string of images glorifying Monday’s terror attack in Jerusalem.
Less than three hours after two gunmen opened fire at a bus stop in Ramot Junction – killing six civilians and injuring others – the group uploaded a sign to Instagram declaring: “Whoever is in solidarity with our corpses but not our rockets is a hypocrite and not one of us. Until victory.”
Five hours later, the page shared an image of a Carlo submachine gun, the type reportedly used in the assault, draped in a keffiyeh. The caption, written in both Arabic and Hebrew, read: “The weapon of the poor has returned to you again – the legendary Carlo.”
The account has since continued posting. One graphic showed the Al Aqsa Mosque on Temple Mount with a giant Carlo mounted on its roof alongside the words: “What did you think decolonisation meant?”
Credit: Instagram/Leeds Students 4 Palestine
Israeli authorities said five victims died at the scene and a sixth succumbed to wounds in hospital. Both attackers were killed by an IDF soldier and an armed civilian.
The posts have been reported to the government’s Prevent programme and referred to Counter Terrorism Policing North East (CTPNE). Leeds Students 4 Palestine is not recognised as an official university society.
A CTPNE spokesperson said in a statement to Jewish News: “Counter Terrorism Police works alongside its partners to identify and remove harmful material online.
Any content believed to promote terrorism, or to encourage or glorify acts of violence will be reviewed to establish whether or not any offences have been committed.”
Simon Myerson KC, chair of the Leeds Jewish Representative Council, told Jewish News:
“This alleged group – which may in reality be just a couple of individuals – has a history of violent antisemitic posts. As recent events have tragically shown, the link between words and violence grows ever stronger. Normalising the consequences of an act always risks normalising the act itself. This post is a disgrace.
We have previously raised concerns about this group with the University’s senior management, including the Vice-Chancellor. We have been told that most of the people who can be identified as members – and perhaps all of them – are not students.
This is therefore a police matter, and we urge a fully resourced investigation, detection, and consideration of prosecution under the Terrorism Act. The post constitutes a threat of violence aimed at Jewish students. It cannot simply be brushed off as social media chaff, nor can it be categorised as free speech. It is intended as a threat.
It is also time for the University to speak out. If these people are not students, then the University should publicly confirm this and condemn the racist violence. It is vital to make clear that Leeds University is not a place where such behaviour is tolerated.”
Leeds Students 4 Palestine was unable to be reached for comment.
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