Thursday, May 09, 2024

Meet the British wrestling collective with 'queer joy' at its core

The mission of Fist Club is to prove “that wrestling isn’t just drag for straight people, it’s drag for everyone.”

Performers rehearse in the wrestling ring ahead of LGBTQ+ wrestling collective Fist Club's latest show in London on May 3. Belinda Jiao / Reuters

May 9, 2024, 7:40 AM MDT / Source: Reuters

LONDON — Think fishnet tights, silver hot pants and long false eyelashes, then add in bodies bouncing off ropes and into takedowns which land with bottoms on faces. This is queer wrestling outfit Fist Club.

Their mission, they say, is to prove “that wrestling isn’t just drag for straight people, it’s drag for everyone.”

It was that sense of fun which pleased the crowd at a sold-out theatre in North London for their latest show.

The group’s founders — Daisy Lang, Ash Wilk and Heather Brandenburg — shared a love of wrestling, but wanted a space that was accepting of those not aligned with the conventional image of a wrestler, so they created one.

“For me, It’s all about the queer joy,” Wilk told Reuters backstage. “Nothing gives me the same queer joy as Fist Club.”

That joy comes as much from the costumes and make-up, incorporating drag and cabaret elements, as it does from the clinches and joint lock moves performed in the ring.

Several extravagantly tattooed acts laugh and pose in the dressing room as they put the finishing touches to their wigs, paint on pencil mustaches, and add glitter where necessary.

“My identity doesn’t fit with the cis-straight man identity of your kind of typical wrestler,” said Lang, whose characters include drag king Rocky Rhodes.

By creating a space that is queer-focused and trans-inclusive, they believe they have created a show where everyone can feel at home, a modern-day version of the wrestling that drew in audiences of millions when it was televised in Britain in the 1970s and 1980s.

Back in North London, the crowd whoop with delight when a character dressed to look like singer Tina Turner recovers from a painful-looking shoulder barge to overpower a crotchless trouser, bikini top-wearing opponent.

Fist Club host Katy Bulmer says it shows the universal appeal of what the group are doing.

“It doesn’t have to be your entire gimmick, you can just book queer people, you can book trans-people,” Bulmer said. “And people will come, and people will cheer and people will understand.”

Canada announces funding to improve safety and rights of 2SLGBTQI+ people

From: Global Affairs Canada

News release

May 9, 2024 - Ottawa, Canada - Global Affairs Canada

People in 2SLGBTQI+ communities [RD1] continue to face discrimination, violence and marginalization, in Canada and globally. Canada remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing their human rights and socio-economic inclusion.

Today, Anita Vandenbeld, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development, participated in Dignity Network Canada’s [RD2] Opening Panel Discussion[RD3] , which included 2SLGBTQI+ human rights defenders. During the event, she announced $1.7 million in funding from Canada to be disbursed over 3 years for 2SLGBTQI+ initiatives around the world.

Canadian organization Rainbow Railroad will receive $700,000 for the International Network on 2SLGBTQI+ Forced Displacement[RD4] initiative. This project aims to improve the protection of forcibly displaced 2SLGBTQI+ people around the world through research and convenings of civil society organizations, public stakeholders and people experiencing forced displacement. Rainbow Railroad is a global not-for-profit organization that helps at-risk 2SLGBTQI+ people get to safety.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will receive an additional [RD5] $1 million for the Multi-Donor LGBTI Global Human Rights Initiative, which works to help protect 2SLGBTQI+ people in developing countries from violence, discrimination, stigma and criminalization. The project conducts research to inform policy; supports communications in social and behavioural change [RD6] to reduce stigma and discrimination; and provides direct and emergency support to individuals and organizations. The initiative, while managed by USAID, is implemented by the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, a philanthropic organization working to support the human rights of 2SLGBTQI+ people around the world.

Quotes

“Canada remains committed to protecting and advancing the rights of 2SLGBTQI+ people globally, especially those in vulnerable regions. We are proud to support our Canadian partner, Rainbow Railroad, which works closely with 2SLGBTQI+ people, as well as experienced partners [RD1] like USAID, to help empower 2SLGBTQI+ communities around the world.”
- Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development
“The work of 2SLGBTQI+ movements demonstrates the courage and resilience in these brave communities. Projects implemented by Rainbow Railroad and USAID push for progress so that 2SLGBTQI+ people can live with freedom, safety and dignity. Canada will continue to support these efforts until the work is done.”
- Anita Vandenbeld, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development

Quick facts

- In February 2019, Canada committed to providing $30 million over 5 years and $10 million each year after through its [RD1] LGBTQ2I International Assistance Program.
- Since June 2023, Canada has partnered with Rainbow Railroad to identify and refer at-risk 2SLGBTQI+ refugees through the Government-Assisted Refugee [RD2] Program.
- Since 2020, Canada has partnered with USAID to support the Multi-Donor LGBTI Global Human Rights Initiative.
- In August 2018, Canada hosted the Equal Rights Coalition’s [RD3] global conference LGBTI Human Rights and Inclusive Development[RD4] , in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Associated links

Creative Works OOH

Brands and artists are transforming grey urban spaces into ‘painted cities’

By Lee Bofkin, CEO And Co-Founder

Global Street Art

The Drum Network article

MAY 9, 2024 |

Street art is alive and well, thanks partly to collaborations between artists and brands. Lee Bofkin of Global Street Art says this relationship is a win-win, and murals are the ultimate crowd-pleaser.

A London street scene overlooked by a mural

A mural in Southwark created by Global Street Art / Global Street Art

At Global Street Art, our mission is to live in painted cities. Since 2012, we’ve painted over 3,000 ‘pure’ art murals across the UK but our work also includes hand-painted advertising for brands, some at the 150 exclusive media sites we have across the UK; public art commissions; our unique Art for Estates program in housing estates; plus our Building Sights construction hoarding program; and the London Mural Festival. The 2024 edition will be one of the world’s biggest celebrations of street art, with over 100 murals planned across the city from some of the best UK and international street artists and muralists working today.

So where did it all begin? The truth is there is no one origin of street art – commentary on this subject often references Mexican muralists like Diego Rivera from the ‘20s-‘50s, the rise of graffiti in the ‘70s and ‘80s and political murals in Northern Ireland.

The original outdoor advertising

Street art is by its very nature public and born out of creativity and performance, often with elements of activism and protest. While British murals from the ‘70s and ‘80s weren’t always legal, there also wasn't the same framework for authorization, objection, or enforcement as exists today. Street art now encapsulates every style of art imaginable and is constantly evolving. Its rise has been profoundly impacted by technology: social media and smartphones have allowed fans of street art to document and share photos of art from all over the world, improving quality and accessibility. The shareability of craft inherently appeals to brands.

Together with the increasing popularity of street art and murals is the rise of hand-painted advertising, which has had a resurgence since the 21st century – it was the original form of outdoor advertising. Partnerships are, of course, another way that brands can and do show up all the time in popular culture – and the options are myriad.

Artist partnerships offer brands the chance to reach customers in a way they never could on their own. At the inaugural London Mural Festival, we creatively produced House of Zippo in Camden. The lighter brand wanted to show off its improved high-definition, high-colour decoration process by pairing its windproof lighters with brilliant artists. So we created an immersive pop-up event including live painting, interior murals, body painting, DJ sets, and a light show – as well as a huge exterior mural by celebrated artist D*Face. This mural, along with designs by four other artists from our network, were then licensed through us and turned into a series of limited-edition lighters that completely sold out in stores.

Brands and artists embrace collaboration

But the relationship between brands and street art can go further: supporting murals in public spaces is a way for brands to deliver real public good. As companies are the predominant institutions of our time, it’s imperative they work with culture because they, and only they, can fill the gap left by public bodies after austerity decimated their funding. Companies definitely recognize the importance of this: we work with a vast network of property owners, developers, and councils across London to ensure the murals painted in collaboration with specific boroughs – and as part of the London Mural Festival – can be enjoyed for years to come.

We recently worked with local artist Baiyu Liu and Southwark Council and two private investment firms – Maya Capital and Veld Capital – to create a permanent 300m² mural in Southwark that celebrated the area’s rich heritage. The design shows the seamless merging of day and night, alongside the area's rich tapestry of diversity and history. Commercial partners of the festival will be able to support permanent works of art that become a celebrated part of the local area, which is incredibly rare.

Given street art’s anti-establishment beginnings, there have always been artists who don’t associate with brands. However, more artists now recognize the unique opportunities that the right brand partnerships can bring, as well as meeting the heavy costs that go into creating work on this scale. There have been so many successful projects involving brands and artists working together in the past decade, that the conversation has moved more from “should we?” to “who with?” and “doing what?”

Creative Creative Works OOH

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Global Street Art

Global Street Art’s mission is “to Live in Painted Cities”. This is realised by working with top street artists, creating incredible murals for commercial...

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"The Classic Quotes by Xi Jinping," a multilingual TV program produced by China Media Group (CMG) that features quotes from ancient Chinese classics used by Chinese President Xi Jinping in his speeches and articles, began airing on Hungarian media outlets on Wednesday.

The show was launched on the same day Xi arrived in Hungarian capital Budapest for a state visit at the invitation of Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

During the opening ceremony, former Hungarian President Pal Schmitt and former Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy applauded the airing of the program.

"The Classic Quotes by Xi Jinping" focuses on themes including common prosperity and green development, and selects the original speeches and quotes from ancient Chinese classics used by Xi to elaborate on ancient Chinese stories and wisdom.

During the program, the hosts invite foreign guests on on-site tours to experience and explore the traditional cultural perspectives that underlie China's achievements in governance and the value of ancient wisdom on modern society.

Former Hungarian President Pal Schmitt speaks at the opening ceremony of CMG's show "The Classic Quotes by Xi Jinping" in Budapest, Hungary, May 8, 2024. /CMG

Schmitt warmly welcomed Xi's visit, noting China is a trustworthy good friend and good partner of Hungary. He said as China and Hungary celebrate 75 years of diplomatic ties, the two countries have achieved a lot in jointly building the Belt and Road, while people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries are thriving, and cooperation in sports and other fields have enhanced the traditional friendship between the two peoples.

He also said he is confident in the power of media to promote exchanges in the two countries' experience in governance and social development.

Shen Haixiong, vice minister of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and president of CMG, said in his speech that the media plays an irreplaceable and unique role in promoting exchanges between countries and enhancing people-to-people bonds.

Shen Haixiong, vice minister of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and president of CMG, speaks at the opening ceremony of CMG's show "The Classic Quotes by Xi Jinping" in Budapest, Hungary, May 8, 2024. /CMG

According to Shen, the show offers a window into Xi's thoughts on state governance, a better understanding of Chinese wisdom and spirit, and a deeper perception of the legacy of China's traditional culture and the unique charm of its efforts to build a modern civilization.

He said CMG is willing to work with Hungarian friends to promote cultural exchanges, people-to-people bonds and mutual learning between civilizations, so as to continue to write a new chapter in China-Hungary friendly and cooperative relations and contribute more to the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.

(Cover: Opening ceremony of CMG's show "The Classic Quotes by Xi Jinping" in Budapest, Hungary, May 8, 2024. /CMG)

British Army Tests New Mobile Directed-Energy Weapon

JOE SABALLAMAY 9, 2024

The British Army has tested a new directed-energy weapon that employs advanced radio frequency technology to interfere with electronic circuits.

Part of Project Ealing, the truck-mounted system is designed to provide a strategic countermeasure against growing drone threats.

It can accurately detect, track, and engage various targets across multiple domains.

According to a social media post by journalist Gabriele Molinelli, the directed-energy weapon features a more compact design compared to initial concepts.

It can now be carried on a smaller HX60 truck rather than an HX77, increasing its deployability and maneuverability.

The technology was previously showcased with the 7th Air Defence Group at Thorney Island in southeastern England.

‘Radio Frequency Cannon’

The recently tested directed-energy weapon is similar in concept to Epirus’ Leonidas system that can also be integrated with sensors for improved precision.

They both have a non-lethal approach in addressing threats, meaning they fry the electronics of hostile drones without causing permanent damage.

Thanks to commercially available components, the weapon can reportedly adjust to broader frequencies to deal with threats simultaneously.

According to program manager Matt Cork, the “radio frequency cannon” could soon be used to protect strategic locations or moving convoys.

SCOTLAND

Hundreds back petition urging Perth College to protect threatened services

The college is proposing cutting 70 jobs and reducing support services.

The college’s bosses announced last month that it’s facing a £4 million funding deficit.

Jakub Kvasnicka

Hundreds of people have backed a petition urging Perth College to protect under-threat services, including its library and nursery.

The college’s bosses announced last month that it’s facing a £4 million funding deficit and is proposing cutting 70 jobs and reducing support services.

Perth College principal and chief executive, Dr Margaret Cook, said the college is not permitted to operate with a deficit budget, and they are having to make “challenging and difficult decisions on where savings and changes in all parts of the college can be made”.

“Along with the rest of the college sector, the current landscape presents formidable challenges.

“Alongside reductions in funding and the cost-of-living crisis, we have rising staff and utility costs, leaving us with significant economic concerns and the requirement to create a financially stable future.”

STV News

Students have been raising their concerns about the library cuts on campus.

“In order to prevent compulsory redundancies, we remain committed to achieving this by launching a voluntary severance scheme,” Dr Cook added.

Among the proposed cuts, the current library will be turned into “a more versatile study space”, which will contain only a “limited book collection” and be open for only one evening per week.

On Wednesday, students raised their concerns about the library cuts on campus.

“The consultation is purely budget cuts of staff, and there is no consideration at the moment as to how that affects students,” said Cara Steel, a student at the college.

“There’s no assessment being done on the impact of students, and there’s no communication between staff and students.

“The students are going to try and put a hold on the cuts until an assessment has been done as to how this will impact the students, and the students can have an opinion on how this will impact their academic learning journey.”

In addition, another cut would see the campus nursery closed in the summer of 2024, with the loss of all nursery roles.

Pete Wishart, MP for Perth and North Perthshire, said there is an overwhelming sense that senior management has failed to protect the interests of staff.

“The nursery should surely be the last facility to be considered for closure. And yet, for a second year running, senior management has inflicted misery on staff and students alike by suddenly putting it on the chopping block.

“This is despite a commitment from Margaret Cook last year to keep the nursery open until at least 2025. By acting in such a manner, there can be no doubt that the entire college community has lost confidence in her leadership.

“All efforts are now being directed towards uniting the people of Perth together around a campaign to save the nursery once more. We managed to save it last year, but this time, we will be fighting to get this unconscionable proposal taken off the table once and for all.”

The college said it is consulting with trade unions, staff, and students, and it has been assured by Perth & Kinross Council that they will work with all parents and carers to facilitate, where possible, a move to another suitable nursery.

Cleaners at £15,000 a year school vote to strike over poverty pay

Cleaners at Blackheath Prep Photo: United Voices of the World

MORNING STAR
THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2024

MIGRANTS being exploited on poverty pay while working as cleaners for an elite London private school have voted to take strike action.

Members of United Voices of the World union at Blackheath Prep are due to walk out, demanding the London Living Wage (LLW), the same sick leave as directly employed staff, and paid lunch breaks.

Workers currently take home £11.44 per hour, while the school charges over £15,000 per year per pupil.

Ecuadorean cleaner Judit Morales said: “Migrant cleaners face exploitation because we don’t know our rights or speak English fluently.

“We are not being paid the London Living Wage and we don’t get sick pay, although we are highly exposed to diseases as school cleaners.

“We end up working while sick because we don’t get paid if we need to take time off.”

UVW says the contractor, Westgate Cleaning Services, has repeatedly refused to negotiate improved terms and conditions including paying the LLW of £13.15 per hour.

Santa Perez, from the Dominican Republic said: “As a single mum with four small kids I find it near impossible to make ends meet on such a low salary.

“We’ve been asking for the London Living Wage (LLW) for some time now, but it’s been denied to us. So the time has come to do something about it.”

UK
Amazon Is Holding Special Union-Busting Seminars for Workers

Workers are being told: ‘A union is a business, just like Amazon.’

by Polly Smythe
8 May 2024

The strike at Amazon Coventry in November 2023. REUTERS/Carl Recine

Amazon union busters are threatening workers with the loss of their jobs if they unionise.

At the vast warehouse in Coventry, known as BHX4, workers have been battling for close to two years for union recognition. This month, workers will vote on whether to recognise the GMB. A yes vote would make the warehouse the first unionised Amazon site in the UK.

As the vote approaches, Amazon is stepping up its anti-union campaign. In March, the corporate giant began taking workers directly from their workstations to anti-union group meetings run by what the company terms “employment resource” officials, specially parachuted in from other sites.

The meetings can last up to 90 minutes long, with employees only allowed to ask questions at the end. Amazon’s employment resource officials are also approaching individual workers while at work on the warehouse floor.

Despite this, workers remain optimistic that they’ll win. Garfield Hylton, a GMB member and Amazon worker, said Amazon’s union-busting efforts were like “trying to give medicine to a dead person.”

Employment resources officials have told workers that if they unionise Amazon will close BHX4. According to workers who have attended the sessions, the union busters present the sessions as helping them to “understand the facts.”

Officials also told workers that if they unionise, they could miss out on pay rises given to other sites and risk losing their current access to benefits including healthcare, parental leave, the ability to swap shifts, and access to emergency holiday.

During the sessions, union avoidance officials have repeatedly told workers: “What is a union? A union is a business, just like Amazon.”

The tactic is the latest in Amazon’s long-running campaign to undermine the union effort. In March, the company began plastering the warehouse with QR codes that generate an email to the union requesting that membership be cancelled.

Five Amazon workers, supported by the GMB and tech justice non-profit Foxglove, have started legal action against Amazon’s “one-click-to-quit tool,” accusing the company of “inducing” them to leave the union. Foxglove director Rosa Curling said that the case could also result in a pay-out for every worker should the court find in favour of them. She said: “More than 100 workers have already joined the claim so far, up from the five we launched it with – so it’s growing fast. Watch this space.”

Workers have also reported being confronted by management while at work and told to leave the union.

Amazon is bombarding workers with anti-union literature. Anti-union posters, flyers, and leaflets are being posted in every toilet stall, canteens, passageways, noticeboards, electronic screens, and meeting rooms.

One flyer that began appearing around the site following the introduction of mandatory anti-union sessions is headed: “You decide what’s best for you. You are free to join or not join a union. But make an informed decision based on the facts.”

Under the question “What is a union?” the flyer states: “A union is a business that recruits members to make money to pay their own employees and to fund campaigns.”

In a section titled “The truth about union membership fees,” the flyer states that “membership fees could cost hundreds of pounds each year.” GMB union subs are maximum £174.84 a year, with reduced rates for part-time workers.

“What has the union done with all of the membership fees paid by BHX4 Amazonians so far?” asks the flyer.

For the GMB to win recognition, the majority of employees will need to support the ballot, with a turnout of at least 40%.

The GMB was forced to withdraw an application for statutory union recognition last June, after it accused Amazon of hiring an additional 1,300 workers to defeat its request.

Amanda Gearing, GMB Senior Organiser, said: “This is a company out of control. Their latest American anti-union campaign proves they will stop at nothing to beat the rules that every other employer in the UK is expected to follow.”

An Amazon spokesperson said: “Our employees have the choice of whether or not to join a union. They always have. We regularly review our pay to ensure we offer competitive wages and benefits. Our minimum starting pay has increased to £12.30 and £13 per hour depending on location, that’s a 20% increase over two years and 50% since 2018.

“We also work hard to provide great benefits, a positive work environment and excellent career opportunities. These are just some of the reasons people want to come and work at Amazon, whether it’s their first job, a seasonal role or an opportunity for them to advance their career.”

Polly Smythe is Novara Media’s labour movement correspondent.

The dangers of defining "extremism"

The UK government's new definition raises serious questions

here have been sweeping characterisations of pro-Palestine protesters as extreme or racist. Credit: Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona via Unsplash

Blog
NEW HUMANIST
By Editorial Staff , Thursday, 9th May 2024

What we think of as “extreme” is a matter of perspective. So it’s not surprising that when the UK government introduced a new definition of “extremism” in March, it sparked controversy. The new definition is “the promotion or advancement of an ideology based on violence, hatred or intolerance, that aims to: 1) negate or destroy the fundamental rights and freedoms of others; or 2) undermine, overturn or replace the UK’s system of liberal parliamentary democracy and democratic rights; or 3) intentionally create a permissive environment for others to achieve the results in (1) or (2).”

The change is not about banning groups. Instead, it seems to be mainly aimed at ensuring that the government doesn’t inadvertently support those advancing aims that might be threatening to British society. Groups deemed “extremist” will be publicly named and denied grants, ministerial meetings and access to public appointments.

The government says the new definition is “narrower and more precise”. Notably, it did away with the slippery concept of “British values” included in the previous one. It also avoided some of the more troubling language that had reportedly been considered, such as references to undermining “British institutions”, which the National Secular Society had pointed out could include the Church of England or the monarchy.

Nonetheless, legal expert Adam Wagner expressed concern about point three, noting that the idea of “creating a permissive environment” was too vague and could have a chilling effect on freedom of speech. The government justified the change by pointing to the rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia since the beginning of the Israel-Gaza conflict. This is a legitimate concern, but the rhetoric around the issue has too often been accompanied by sweeping characterisations of anti-war protesters as extreme or racist. Muslim groups in particular are concerned that they could be unfairly targeted. Of the five groups identified as potentially affected, three are accused of Islamic fundamentalism and two of neo-Nazism.

Should there be a definition of “extremism” at all that is separate from the criminal code on violence and hate speech? Or does this move the government too close to policing thought? As even Miriam Cates, co-head of the New Conservatives group, has argued: in a democratic society “it is surely impossible to establish robust legal definitions of terms such as ‘extremism’ ... the state should only intervene on those with ‘extreme’ beliefs when they cross the line into violence and intimidation.”

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British government tries to avert the type of unrest seen on American campuses

Pro-Palestinian students and demonstrators shout slogans at the campus of SOAS University of London as students occupy parts of university campus in London, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

BY DANICA KIRKA
May 9, 2024

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday called for an end to antisemitism on campus as he met with university leaders in an effort to prevent the type of unrest seen on American campuses in recent weeks.

Sunak summoned the vice chancellors of Britain’s top universities to his Downing Street offices after the government said “antisemitic abuse” was disrupting learning amid a growing number of pro-Palestinian protests.

Ahead of the meeting, Sunak warned of “students and academic staff being targeted, threatened, and assaulted simply for being Jewish.”

“We will always protect freedom of speech and the right to protest,” Sunak wrote in the Times of London. “But just as importantly, universities have a profound duty to remain bastions of tolerance, where such debate takes place with respect for others — and where every student feels safe and at home, whatever their faith or background.”

Pro-Palestinian protesters have built encampments at about a dozen U.K. universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, over the past two weeks as some students and academics call on the institutions to cut ties with Israel over the conflict in Gaza.

Pro-Palestinian student protests spread across Europe. Some are allowed. Some are stopped

While the protests have so far remained relatively small and peaceful, some Jewish students are expressing concerns about antisemitism.

Sunak’s office said he had invited vice chancellors from some of the U.K.’s top universities to discuss efforts to tackle antisemitism on campus. Vice chancellors are the top academic and administrative officials at British universities.

As part of the effort, Sunak announced that the government would provide an additional 500,000 pounds ($623,000) to the University Jewish Chaplaincy Service to support Jewish students.

The number of antisemitic incidents at the U.K.'s 142 universities tripled last year as tensions rose over the war in the Middle East, according to the Communities Security Trust, which works to combat antisemitism in Britain.

That mirrors the trend seen across Europe and the U.S. following Hamas’ deadly attack on Oct. 7 and Israel’s ensuing military campaign in Gaza, according to major Jewish organizations.

Hamas and other militants abducted around 250 people in the attack and killed around 1,200, mostly civilians. They are still believed to be holding around 100 hostages and the remains of some 30 others.

Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed over 34,000 Palestinians, displaced around 80% of the population and pushed hundreds of thousands of people to the brink of famine, Palestinian officials say.

The war has inflamed tensions around the world, triggering pro-Palestinian protests including encampments on U.S. college campuses where disruption and confrontations with counter-protesters have attracted police intervention. Israel and its supporters have branded the protests as antisemitic, while critics of Israel say it uses such allegations to silence opponents.

By calling in the vice chancellors, Sunak has inserted himself into the debate about balancing the right of free speech against the right of all students to pursue their education without fear of intimidation.

Sally Mapstone, president of the higher education trade body Universities U.K., said universities have a duty to provide a safe environment for everyone on campus and they are taking that responsibility very seriously amid recent tensions.

“We want to work with government (and with the Department for Education) to do everything we can to generate a culture which de-escalates the tensions that we are seeing at the moment and allows reasoned debate without the opportunities for harassment, which are concerning,” Mapstone, who is also vice chancellor at the University of St. Andrews, said in an interview with the BBC.

Mapstone added that she did not think antisemitism was an intrinsic problem at British universities.

“But I do think the universities are crucibles of ideas and debate,” she said. “And when tensions are running high across the country, as they demonstrably are, then universities, because they’re full of young people with very strong and impassioned views, become a focus for those sorts of debates.”

UK PM spooked as students at elite universities join pro-Palestine movement

Students at several universities including Oxford and Cambridge are camping out and calling for their colleges to divest from companies supporting Israel.

By Edna Mohamed

AL JAZEERA
Published On 9 May 2024

London, England – At 3am last Wednesday, as the rain poured down, pro-Palestine students at Bristol University set up an encampment opposite a study centre on campus.

Eugenia and five other student activists who had met at previous protests put four tents together. But despite the cold, more sprung up over the next few nights.

“It’s now grown to at least 20 tents, with loads of people rotating in and out, usually about 30 [people] at the camp during the day. But it’s sometimes more if we have a specific event on,” Eugenia, an organiser with the Bristol for Palestine group, told Al Jazeera.

“Staff and students stopping by to express support and ask how they can get involved is also so encouraging,” said Eugenia. “The movement to divest and fight for a free Palestine is so much bigger than the university executives like to pretend.”

The encampment has communal supplies, such as food, face masks, COVID-19 tests, and books on Palestinian history. There are also flyers explaining protester rights as well as leaflets on how Bristol is “complicit in the genocide”.

At the heart of their demands, the students are calling for their university to cut ties with companies that are contributing to Israel’s war efforts, including BAE Systems.

The British defence firm partially manufactures F-35 fighter jets that have been used by the Israeli military in Gaza.

“My university has millions of pounds in partnerships with companies that arm Israel. I do not think it is complicated to think that an institution’s complicity in violent settler-colonialism, apartheid, ethnic cleansing and genocide is bad,” said Eugenia, who added that they have been in contact with their peers at the University of Warwick in England and those protesting in the United States and Canada.

University security workers have asked them to leave but they have not been threatened with any disciplinary action.

“Although, we wonder if this will change after [Prime Minister] Rishi Sunak’s meeting with UK vice-chancellors.”

Students at the University of Bristol have called on their school to divest from companies linked to Israel’s military [Courtesy of Eugenia, Bristol for Palestine]

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told his cabinet on Tuesday there had been an “unacceptable rise in anti-Semitism” on campuses across the United Kingdom.

He is meeting university bosses on Thursday.

“Universities should be places of rigorous debate but also bastions of tolerance and respect for every member of their community,” Sunak said.

Earlier this month, the Union of Jewish Students, which says it represents 9,000 people in the UK and Ireland, said pro-Palestine encampments “create a hostile and toxic atmosphere on campus for Jewish students”.

Thousands of students across Britain have joined the global student-led protests against Israel’s latest and deadliest war on the Gaza Strip, which has killed about 35,000 people in just seven months. The historic Israel-Palestine conflict escalated after Hamas, which governs the Strip, attacked southern Israel. During its assault, 1,139 people were killed and hundreds were taken captive.

Britain has not witnessed the kind of violent scenes on campuses the US has, including heavy police crackdowns and clashes between protesters and counter-protesters.

The British students say their rallies are peaceful and are joined by many Jewish undergraduates and scholars.

On Tuesday, the Jewish Society at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London said it stood “shoulder to shoulder” with those rallying for Gaza.

Sunak’s announcement came after the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, which have long taught the British elite, joined the protests on Monday. The majority of British prime ministers have studied at Oxford, including Sunak and his four predecessors, while several others have graduated from Cambridge.

At the time of writing, neither the University of Bristol nor the University of Cambridge had responded to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.

The Cambridge for Palestine group said Trinity College, Cambridge University’s second-largest college “has invested millions in companies directly supporting Israel’s genocide”.

Middle East Eye recently reported Trinity invested more than 60,000 pounds ($75,000) in Elbit Systems, an Israel-based international military technology company and defence contractor, and millions in Caterpillar, a US-based heavy equipment company which supplies the Israeli army with bulldozers. Other companies reportedly include General Electric, Toyota, Rolls-Royce, Barclays Bank, and L3Harris Technologies.

“Our solidarity is particularly important now given that these decades of ethnic cleansing have culminated in Israel’s genocide of Palestinians, including the destruction of every university in Gaza.”
‘It starts with students and spreads from there’

In some cases, universities have reached deals with their dissenting students.

In Ireland, for instance, Trinity College Dublin agreed to divest from Israeli companies linked to illegal settlements after just a few days of student protests.

On Friday, Goldsmiths, University of London conceded to the five demands of activists who have held protests throughout the war in Gaza.

Action led by the Goldsmiths for Palestine group has resulted in scholarships for Palestinian students and a commitment towards an ethical investment policy. A lecture hall will also be renamed after veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank in 2022.

Leonie Fleischmann, a senior lecturer in International Politics and Human Rights at City, University in London, said that as some students achieve their goals and more protests erupt, the “momentum” must be maintained.

“If we’re talking about the role of protests and pressure, they need to go beyond against what’s happening in Gaza (right now) to what’s next. So it’s a watch this space, in terms of the role of the protests on the course of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” she said.

“If we look at the anti-apartheid movement (in South Africa) and the Vietnam War, students across the globe were significant in creating change and influencing their governments to hold other governments to account.”

Danna, a student organiser at Goldsmiths, told Al Jazeera that negotiations with university management were “frustrating”.

“On the first meeting they had with us, they were kind of complimenting us and saying that they thought it was wonderful that we were expressing ourselves and it was very ‘Goldsmiths-y’ of us,” she said. “Later on, we found out through staff members that at the same time, they had been saying in meetings behind closed doors they’d been considering calling police on us.

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Students at Goldsmiths University are pictured making a banner listing their demands [Courtesy of Goldsmiths for Palestine]

She believes that their demands were ultimately accepted because of the growing global student movement.

“It’s been the case time and time again throughout history that it starts with students and spreads from there.

“We definitely feel in solidarity with the students in the US and everywhere else. And I think for us all to be centring Palestinians right now is super important.”