here have been further examples of fascist and racist graffiti on UK university campuses this week, as a student bar at the University of Birmingham saw graffiti targeting ethnic and sexual minorities, as well as the disabled. The Birmingham University Guild of Students released a statement condemning the appearance of the graffiti, described on the […]
Continue readingTag Archives: proscribed organisations
NUS Black Students’ Officer attends Al-Quds Day march
On Sunday, hundreds of anti-Israel activists gathered in central London to take part in the annual Al-Quds Day march, following a tradition inspired by Ayatollah Khomeini. The march was organised by the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), a group Student Rights has written on a number of times in the past. This has included highlighting […]
Continue readingStudents Not Suspects Conference: Campaigning with Extremists
Founded last summer, the ‘Students Not Suspects‘ campaign has now spent an academic year working to undermine Prevent, the government’s counter-radicalisation strategy, on university campuses. While students should of course be free to oppose and challenge policy, Student Rights has repeatedly criticised the campaign, which is led by high profile National Union of Students (NUS) […]
Continue readingWarwick student Palestine activist in antisemitism row
Over the weekend, Aysegul Gurbuz, a student at the University of Warwick and Labour councillor in Luton, was in the spotlight after a series of antisemitic tweets she had made were exposed. These revelations, which have seen Gurbuz resign, follow a series of scandals involving students and antisemitism, including allegations made against Oxford University Labour […]
Continue readingNew briefing examines on-campus events in London
A new briefing released today by Student Rights examines the number of events featuring speakers with a history of extreme or intolerant views, or a history of involvement with extremist organisations, logged across London in the first four months of the 2015-16 academic year. Managing extreme speakers was highlighted by the government as part of […]
Continue readingOxford anti-Semitism allegations highlight wider problem
UPDATE 21/03/2016: Brahma Mohanty, the OULC Disabilities Officer has resigned his position, accusing the society of forcing members “to subscribe to a radical ideology of division and isolation”. Mohanty took on roles with the university club to promote “access and diversity”, but now believes this ethos is not shared by other OULC members. He cited […]
Continue readingFOSIS work with MEND on Islamophobia campaign
Islamophobia Awareness Month (IAM) aims to raise awareness of anti-Muslim hate crime across the UK. Bigotry towards Muslims remains a problem at UK universities, and groups like the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS) are right to highlight this serious issue. Student Rights has logged a number of anti-Muslim incidents at universities in the past, […]
Continue readingEx-student who fought against Islamic State banned from UCL (Update: UCLU reverse decision)
UPDATE: 16/11/2015: Following a high profile campaign by UCLU Kurdish Society, the Student Union has reversed their decision to ban Macer Gifford from speaking on campus. In a statement released today, UCLU said: “On Friday 13th November, UCL finally received a response from the police, stating that they felt it would be safe and legally […]
Continue readingAnjem Choudary invited to address the Oxford Union
Reports yesterday claimed that the extremist cleric Anjem Choudary had been invited to take part in a debate at the Oxford Union entitled ‘This house believes that radicalism is born at home’. The co-founder of the proscribed organisation Al-Muhajiroun, Choudary is currently on police bail after being arrested for membership of a banned group in […]
Continue readingExtreme events show extent of campus issue
The announcement last week by the Home Secretary of new measures to combat extremism on campuses was welcomed here at Student Rights. Theresa May confirmed new laws will make dealing with extremist speakers a legal duty for universities and colleges, ensuring it is taken seriously by institutions. However, as media attention moves on, Student Rights […]
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