The daughter of a senior Tory politician last night told how she was left in tears after pro-Palestine activists hijacked a university open day for prospective students.
Abigail Wolfson and her mother Louise, who are Jewish, attended two presentations thrown into chaos by protesters in face masks and Palestinian ‘keffiyeh’ scarves.
Video footage shows activists brandishing flags and banners and shouting ‘free Palestine‘ during the events at the University of Bristol.
Abigail, the daughter of shadow attorney general Lord Wolfson of Tredegar, said: ‘The reception we received on campus can only be described as hostile. I’ve never felt so isolated. For the first time in my life… I wished I wasn’t Jewish.’
There have been reports of Jewish students being abused across Britain, with a 117 per cent rise in anti-Semitic incidents since Hamas‘ attacks on October 7, 2023.
StandWithUs UK, a charity that supports Israel, has accused universities of a ‘systematic failure’ to respond to the rising hostility.
The first protest at last month’s open day started four minutes into a presentation about studying history at Bristol.
Abi Wolfson was attending an Open day at Bristol University when a lecture was disrupted by a Palestinian protest
Abigail told how four activists entered the lecture hall chanting ‘From the river to the sea’ – regarded by many as a call for Israel’s elimination. They then accused the university of ‘funding the Zionist war machine’.
Abigail told how four activists entered the lecture hall chanting ‘From the river to the sea’ – regarded by many as a call for Israel’s elimination.
They then accused the university of ‘funding the Zionist war machine’.
Abigail said: ‘My mother started shouting “Shame!”. We felt intimidated, isolated and unsafe. We were both visibly upset, [but]no-one said anything to us.’
The second protest took place minutes later during a presentation about studying politics and international affairs.
Two masked activists unfurled a banner while Louise, a lawyer, again shouted ‘shame’ and implored university security to intervene.
This time, a distressed Abigail left in tears.
‘When they [the protesters] finished, the entire auditorium [was] clapping,’ she said. ‘I got up and left. I was just absolutely hysterically crying. The staff at the event asked ‘what’s wrong?’ I felt like saying, ‘how can you not know?’.’
Abigail, who is at sixth form in London, still intends to apply to study in Bristol. ‘I’m not going to allow people to dictate my future because I’m Jewish – that’s essentially them winning,’ she said.
Lord Wolfson, expressing his disgust at the protests, wrote on X. ‘Is this what my daughter, and other Jewish students, can expect at Bristol University, daily, for three years? With the lecturers just standing by, and no security intervention (despite requests)?’
Naima Abu Ful holds her malnourished 2-year-old child, Yazan, at their home in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City on Wednesday, July 23, 2025
Demonstrators take part in a protest to demand the immediate release of hostages held in Gaza since the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, July 26, 2025
Dr Sam Appleton, a lecturer who was giving the second presentation, responded to Lord Wolfson by defending the activists, saying: ‘The audience received them warmly… students have every right to express their views about political matters, same as you do.’
In another post, he described pro-Palestine activists as ‘heroes’.
The University of Bristol said it has apologised to the Wolfsons and ‘discussed their concerns’, adding that it aims to make all students ‘feel safe and fully supported’. Dr Appleton declined to comment.
