LONDON: Students from the Palestine Society at SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) on Tuesday said the university had “suspended students following a rally in solidarity with Gaza”.

The SOAS Palestine Society posted to X saying, “URGENT: @SOAS University of London, renowned for its so called progressive politics, has officially begun taking steps suspending its own students following a rally in solidarity with Gaza. This is a clear act of political repression. Please read on and share widely.”

The tweet said that on Oct 9, the Palestine Society and its student community held a rally in solidarity with the people of Gaza and that hundreds of students joined the demonstration.

On October 13 and 14, the statement said “students were suspended and given warnings through disciplinarians by the university” and said the action by the university demonstrated “a targeted act of political repression for those who stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people”.

“We extend our full solidarity with Palestine and condemn the repressive actions taken by management of SOAS. We call for all students suspended to be allowed to continue their studies and attend lectures,” it said.

The university’s Palestine Society posted the link to an online petition, in which it demands that the university drop all disciplinary proceedings against those involved in the protest, revoke the formal warnings given to Palestine Society Committee members and re-establish the right to protest on the steps of the main building. It also called on the Student Union to advocate on behalf of students’ right to protest and pressure the university to meet these demands.

Author and activist Fatima Bhutto condemned SOAS’ actions against students, saying on X, “I am so disappointed in @SOAS. I was always proud of being a @SOASalumni but not today. All solidarity with @SoasPalestine.”

Scores of Twitter users echoed similar condemnations, calling the university out for being “on the wrong side of history” and for being “alarming attacks on freedom of expression”.

Several SOAS alumnus tweeted that the university’s actions were “shameful” and at odds with its reputation for being an inclusive and regressive educational institution.

Massive pro-Palestine rallies have taken place in London after Israel’s retaliatory bombing of Gaza in the wake of Hamas’ shock attack last week, attracting thousands of protestors condemning Israel’s actions.

Palestine societies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, Queen Mary, University College London and the University of Warwick were among those protesting against Israel, and demanding justice for Palestinians.

The UK Education Secretary last week wrote to university vice chancellors asking them to deal “swiftly and decisively” with any threats to Jewish students’ safety in the aftermath of the Hamas attack on Israel and resulting Gaza blockade.

Gillian Keegan claimed the government had seen evidence of support for Hamas, following reports that some pro-Palestinian student organisations had backed the group.

In a letter seen by The National, she wrote: “Following the barbaric terrorist attacks upon Israel at the weekend, we are writing to express our deep concern for the welfare of Jewish students and to ask that you act swiftly and decisively against any threats, be they implicit or explicit, to their safety and welfare. “We have seen evidence of a number of student societies that support Palestinians sending out inflammatory messages that show support for Hamas, which is, as you know, a proscribed terrorist organisation,” Ms Keegan wrote.

The letter came after The Times revealed multiple academics at Oxbridge and Russell Group universities had posted statements “appearing to justify” Hamas’s attacks on Israel, with some facing investigation.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2023