May 9, 2024, 18:36 | Updated: May 9, 2024, 18:43
Andrew Marr talks to British university's Vivian Stern about the Gaza protests
Clearing pro-Palestinian encampments that have sprung up on campuses across the UK would be “counterproductive”, the chief executive of a British university told LBC.
Vivian Stern told LBC's Andrew Marr that universities are finding it difficult to balance the clear rise in anti-Semitic incidents on campus and across the country.
“The challenge facing universities is balancing the need to allow and facilitate legitimate protest with the need to ensure people understand where the red lines are,” Stern said. told LBC.
This comes in the wake of violent protests in the US and amid a growing number of pro-Palestinian encampments setting up on UK campuses, including Oxford and Cambridge.
In relation to the encampments, Stern said their job was to “keep temperatures moderate” and that it would be “counterproductive” if the government forced universities to clear the encampments. Ta.
Rishi Sunak.
Photo: Getty
At today's meeting, vice-chancellors informed the prime minister that there are fears that far-left activists are infiltrating pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses across the country.
Rishi Sunak heard how top leaders are concerned that many of the Occupy protests across the UK are being taken over by non-students.
As war continues in the Middle East, protesters in makeshift camps are calling for the university to sever ties with Israel, accusing it of complicity in the genocide of Gaza residents.
read more: Prime Minister tells bosses to take 'responsibility' for protecting Jewish students, fears far-left activists are infiltrating universities
read more: Campus chaos: 'Horrifying violence' erupts at Gaza protests in Los Angeles, police raid UCLA and Columbia universities
Hundreds of students were arrested in the United States as police tried to remove demonstrators.
Some educational institutions in the UK have been forced to start checking identity documents to ensure those enrolling are genuine students.
The Prime Minister hosted a series of Vice-Chancellors in Downing Street this morning to ask them what more could be done to keep Jewish students safe.
He told them, “Together, we will keep Jewish students safe on campus.”
He called on university leaders to take “personal responsibility” to look after all students and to adopt a “zero tolerance approach” to anti-Semitic hatred.
Representatives from the Jewish Student College warned that levels of anti-Semitism are the worst they've seen in a generation, with a 200 percent increase in reported incidents on campus.
SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies, part of the University of London) pro-Palestinian protest camp.
Photo: Alamy
London, UK. May 9, 2024. SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies, part of the University of London) pro-Palestinian protest camp.
Photo: Alamy
Reacting to today's meeting, a spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “In recent weeks, we have seen anti-Israel thugs swarm university campuses, calling for the intifada and the eradication of the state of Israel, and calling Hamas “. Freedom Fighters'.
“The increase in the number of camps comes against a backdrop of escalating anti-Semitism, with Jewish students enduring verbal abuse, death threats, and physical violence.
“The hostile environment for Jews that has been created on UK campuses calls into question the very foundations of academia. It is becoming a cesspool of hatred and intimidation.
“We thank the Chancellor for making it clear that anti-Semitism has no place at our universities. It is up to the Vice-Chancellors to give their consent. If they do not, we will We will do everything in our power to hold them and their institutions accountable.”
