University of Birmingham suspends Friends of Palestine society after protest chants
Guild acted after Nakba Day slogans, including “Israel is a terror state”; group plans to appeal
The University of Birmingham’s Friends of Palestine society has been suspended by the Guild of Students following a protest held on Nakba Day last month.
The suspension came after footage from the 15 May demonstration showed students chanting slogans including “Resistance is justified when people are occupied” and “Israel is a terror state”. The university adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism in 2020, which includes “calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology” as an example of antisemitism.
The Guild has not publicly detailed the grounds of suspension, but a statement posted by the society on Instagram said: “We reject this suspension entirely and fully intend to appeal the outcome of their investigation, if necessary.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism, which obtained and shared video of the protest, welcomed the decision. A spokesperson said: “This decision vindicates Jewish students at the University of Birmingham. For all their virtuous anti-racism rhetoric, our universities have become epicentres of Jew-hatred… Universities and students societies across Britain should follow this decision and take concrete steps to protect their students.”
One Jewish student told the group: “Hearing these kinds of slogans on campus made me feel unsafe and uneasy… I hope other universities will impose similar measures.”
The Friends of Palestine group also accused the Guild and university of “enabling complicity” in what it described as genocide and said the Nakba Day march had been used as a “pretext” to silence them.
The group also cited previous disciplinary action against pro-Palestinian student activists, including evictions, cancelled negotiations and blocked student newspaper coverage. It ended its statement declaring: “We will persist and resist until our voices are listened to… Our activity is only suspended when Palestine is liberated.”
A spokesperson for the University of Birmingham said: “The University of Birmingham is proud to be home to a diverse community of students and staff, and is committed to ensuring the safety of all in this community. We will not tolerate antisemitism or any other form of discrimination, and encourage students to report any incidents of alleged harassment to us directly.”
The Guild of Students confirmed to Jewish News that it has commenced an investigation into the Friends of Palestine society in line with their student groups policy.
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