Universities UK says protests may require action

More than 100 people in Cambridge protested against the war in Gaza this week

Universities "may need to take action" if protests against the Israel-Gaza war interfere with life on campus, the president of Universities UK has said.

Prof Dame Sally Mapstone said there should be no presumption universities would clear protest encampments but all students must be able to take their exams and graduate.

The leaders of 17 universities met the prime minister earlier to discuss the protests and steps they should take to tackle antisemitism.

The Union of Jewish Students said it wanted the meeting to be followed by "decisive action".

The police were called to Newcastle University on Wednesday, after escalated protests prevented some students accessing counselling services.

Protesters have told BBC News the encampments are "completely peaceful".

St Andrews University principal and vice-chancellor Dame Sally said universities took a recent rise in antisemitism on campus "extremely seriously" and “concrete actions” had been agreed at the meeting to ensure universities knew how to draw “important lines”.

“There is behaviour that is acceptable when people are protesting… and behaviour that is not acceptable because it is against the law,” she said. “Some of this can be tricky.”

Asked whether universities should clear encampments, Dame Sally said vice-chancellors would monitor who was involved in the protests – noting that not everybody was a student - and that “we shouldn't automatically presume that universities will straight away say ‘you have to move off our land’”.

But she added: “Where there is clear evidence that encampments are interfering with good university business and with the rights of students and staff to go about their business – to take exams, to do their degree shows, to graduate - then universities may need to take action.”

'Toxic atmosphere'

Edward Isaacs, president of the Union of Jewish Students, told the BBC the government gave “reassurances” to Jewish students during the meeting and offered to help universities in efforts to tackle antisemitism.

But he added: “While the commitments were important, it's what follows next that will really matter for Jewish students.”

He said vice-chancellors needed to take “decisive action”, including using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism. The definition, in part, describes it as "a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred towards Jews".

There must be “clear communication” with Jewish societies, Mr Isaacs added - and "red lines need to be drawn" when it came to protests, which the UJS previously warned were creating a “hostile and toxic atmosphere for Jewish students”.

Financial ties

The encampments appearing on about 15 UK university campuses in recent days and weeks are much smaller than those in the US.

The student activists want their universities to divest from Israel in response to its military operation in the Gaza Strip.

Divestment means selling off stock in Israeli companies or otherwise dropping financial ties.

Israel launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the group's attack on southern Israel on 7 October, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 252 others were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

More than 34,780 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

'Liberated space'

Issy, who is protesting outside the University of Leeds, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Of course we’re opposed to antisemitism and we’re opposed to all forms of oppression.”

Students at the University of Lancaster, the latest to see tents springing up, described their encampment as “a liberated space”, with events and collective meals.

“Anyone is welcome to join us,” the students said in a statement.

Protests at Newcastle University escalated on Wednesday, with a rally blocking access to its King's Gate building.

'Supporting genocide'

One student, Gemma, who is not protesting and asked for her surname to be withheld, told BBC News protesters had blocked the entrance to the building, which houses student-support services such as counselling, financial and visa help, leaving students unable to attend appointments.

“I feel really strongly that the local university students should not be being impacted by this protest," she said.

“It’s often hard for students to build up the courage to get to a [counselling] session in the first place, so placing barriers to these services saddens me.”

Gemma added she had been “also faced with shouts via megaphone about us all enabling or supporting genocide”.

Newcastle University said some services had been moved online and students would be contacted to rebook missed appointments.

"We continue to work with the police and our security, to ensure the safety and security of our campus," it said in a statement.

“The student protesters have been reminded of our guidance that enables them to exercise their right to protest in a way that respects our university and our community."

'Protect students'

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warned, on Wednesday, protests were disrupting learning on university campuses and, in some cases, "propagating outright harassment and antisemitic abuse".

Before the meeting, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said it aimed to support vice-chancellors to defend free speech but also protect students.

"It’s not an easy thing to do - we do understand that," she told Today.

Universities UK, which represents more than 140 universities, published guidance for universities on tackling antisemitism in 2021.

Last year, the National Union of Students apologised to Jewish students after an independent investigation found it had failed to sufficiently challenge antisemitism and hostility towards Jews, in its own structures.

It would implement the report's recommendations, the NUS said.

This week, the NUS reached a settlement with former president Shaima Dallali, dismissed over antisemitism allegations, in 2022.

In a joint statement with Ms Dallali, the NUS said it "accepts that pro-Palestinian and anti-Zionist beliefs may be protected beliefs, as may pro-Zionist beliefs".

Correction 9 May 2024: An earlier version of this story stated Newcastle University vice-chancellor Prof Chris Day had been among those meeting the prime minister and education secretary at Downing Street on Thursday. The university has subsequently told BBC News Prof Day did not attend the meeting – and this line has been removed from the story.