PM summons West uni chief to discuss Gaza campus protests
THE vice-chancellor of the University of Bristol was summoned to Downing Street yesterday amid concerns protests over Gaza could replicate the violent campus protests seen in America.
A camp of students has been in place in Royal Fort Garden since May 2 and has grown to around 20 tents. The protesters said they would remain there until the university divested from arms companies and “academic freedom and student safety were adequately protected on campus”.
A spokesman added: “The global movement of students for liberation and emancipation will not end until we see a free Palestine. None of us are free until all of us are free.”
In an open letter, vice-chancellor Evelyn Welch, below inset, acknowledged students’ right to protest.
She said: “The important principles of freedom of speech and academic freedom are at the heart of our university mission. We encourage and support everyone’s right to express themselves freely and engage in lawful, peaceful protest in line with our agreed protocols.
“These principles apply, even when there are very different and divergent views. While upholding these fundamental freedoms we also have a responsibility to intervene when an activity prevents the learning or expression of other views, or significantly disrupts the running of the university or the safety of individuals.”
She continued: “I want to stress that, in this context, statements or actions that contravene the law are completely unacceptable. We will not tolerate any form of racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, discrimination, incitement, bullying or harassment
at our University. We will respond robustly if this occurs.” At yesterday’s meeting, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and leaders at 17 British universities discussed taking disciplinary action against students found guilty of antisemitism or glorification of terrorism, or any form of intimidation or violence.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said it was up to universities to deal with such investigations. Ahead of the roundtable with university leaders, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said vicechancellors needed to show leadership in response to protests over Israeli military action in Gaza at UK universities.
She told Sky News: “What we don’t want is our campuses becoming unsafe environments for students or staff and going down the route that you see in other places like the US.” When asked whether there is a fear that events in the US will be replicated in the UK, Ms Keegan said: “There’s always a fear of that.
“There is always a contagion fear
and obviously there are some groups that are encouraging this as well.”
Her comments came after more than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the Cambridge Union on Wednesday evening to protest against a talk by billionaire tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel, who is founder of American software company Palantir.
Asked whether she thinks Mr Sunak is clear on the difference between antisemitism and legitimate protest against Israeli army action, Ms Keegan told Times Radio: “It’s not straightforward in every case.”
She added: “The reality is you have to look at those situations and what is targeted, what is inciting hatred or is actually moving into harassment.
“And you know, those lines are lines that we need to be clear about.”
Representatives from Jewish charity the Community Security Trust (CST) also attended the meeting alongside vice-chancellors from a number of leading universities where student protests are currently taking place.
In 2023, 182 university-related antisemitic incidents were recorded by the CST compared with 60 incidents in 2022 – a rise of 203%.
Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK (UUK), said the meeting with ministers and the UJS had been “positive” and she welcomed the opportunity to have a discussion about how “to avoid an escalation of campus tensions”.