A pro-Palestine protester shouted “Zionists will die” at Jewish people holding a vigil for the Israelis held hostage by Hamas.

Campaigners gathered in Leeds, West Yorkshire, on Tuesday to call for the release of all remaining hostages, but they were disrupted by a group of activists waving Palestine flags, one of whom told them they were “Satanic Zionists”.

A female demonstrator was filmed at the vigil shouting: “Zionists will die! Satanic Zionists! Satanic Zionists!”

In other clips, she was recorded saying to one of the anti-Semitism campaigners: “You’re nothing, you’re a Zionist.”

In a reference to the Israeli declaration of independence in 1948, she added: “Stealing people’s land from 1948. Coming and stealing people’s land. Let’s go get your house. Let’s go get your house, Satanic Zionist.”

She was also recorded saying: “Israel is a piece of s---.” Meanwhile, other activists chanted: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said the force had recorded a public order offence in relation to the incident.

A policeman was present during the incident but did not make any arrests.

The anti-Semitism campaigners were holding signs that read “Free the hostages now” and “We can’t fight anti-Semitism alone”.

‘Utterly wretched’

Leeds Leads Against Antisemitism, which organised the demonstration, said in a statement: “We were in Leeds campaigning against the vast amounts of anti-Semitism our community faces, and someone comes along and proves our point.”

A spokesman for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said the pro-Palestine activists were “utterly wretched”.

“It is utterly wretched but revealing that these Palestine activists call people holding a vigil for innocent hostages ‘satanic’, and calling for them to ‘die’,” the spokesman said.

“Our lawyers are examining this rhetoric. Why are people like this free to spout this bile and chant genocidal slogans on our streets week after week? What have we become as a country?”

In a statement, West Yorkshire Police said: “Police attended a protest in support of Israel in Leeds city centre on Tuesday afternoon.

“Two pro-Palestine supporters were spoken to regarding actions which were considered to be potentially provocative.

“A public order offence has also been recorded in relation to comments made at this event.”

Rates of anti-Semitism have soared in Britain since the October 7 terror attacks by Hamas.

The number of anti-Semitic hate crimes more than doubled – from 1,543 to 3,282 – in the year to March 2024, a 113 per cent increase and the highest on record.

More than eight in 10 of the hate crimes were committed after the October 7 attack, rising from 95 recorded by police in September to 577 in October alone.