Bristol University and some of its students and staff may have breached equality legislation and committed criminal offences during the disruption of Open Days on 15 and 16 June.
UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has written to Professor Evelyn Welch, Vice-Chancellor and President of University of Bristol, regarding the disruption to its Open Days by anti-Israel protestors. This follows complaints by several prospective students and parents of prospective students who attended various lectures during the Open Days on.
The lectures were interrupted by several masked anti-Israel protestors who used threatening and hateful rhetoric. The protestors were permitted, and in some cases encouraged, by the lecturers in charge to continue their anti-Israel propaganda, including false and inflammatory allegations of genocide.
We believe that the protestors were all or mostly current students of the University.
- The protestors complained about the university failing to break ties with companies they alleged are "complicit in the genocide in Gaza", such as Rolls Royce and BAE Systems.
- They stated that Israel is "bombing innocent civilians in Palestine"
- They stated that the University of Bristol is complicit through its partnerships with these companies.
- They alleged that Israel is the "first country in the world" to use fighter jets to "kill children".
- The speeches ended with a claim that anyone choosing to attend Bristol University has a "duty to resist" the alleged "genocide" as "they [the protestors] are doing now".
UKLFI pointed out in its letter that Bristol University appears to have breached section 29 of the Equality Act 2010, which prohibits a service-provider from harassing a person to whom the service (i.e., the Open Days) is provided. The uninterrupted hate speeches amounted to harassment of audience members who had travelled many hours to learn about what the University of Bristol has to offer. They were unwanted conduct related to protected characteristics of Zionist philosophical belief, Israeli nationality and Jewish ethnicity and religion, and they had the effect of creating an intimidating, hostile and offensive environment for these members of the audience.
The University lecturers who facilitated and even encouraged the demonstrators to harass those attending the Open Day are also likely to have breached sections 111 and 112 of the Equality Act by inducing and aiding contraventions of the Act. The University itself is liable for any breaches by its staff, under section 109 of the Act, unless it can show that it took all reasonable steps to prevent such conduct.
UKLFI further argued that the protestors appear to have committed criminal offences under the Public Order Act and Protection from Harassment Act, and that the University staff appear to have aided and abetted them in doing so.
UKLFI invited the University to remedy the situation by making it clear to all concerned that the disruption of the Open Days was unacceptable and by appropriate disciplinary action against the students responsible for the misconduct and the staff who encouraged it. UKLFI also suggested that a letter apologising to participants and assuring them that the University does not condone this conduct would also be helpful.
The Vice Chancellor's Executive Personal Assistant replied to UKLFI that the Vice-Chancellor was working abroad and due to return on 1 July 2024.
However, we have seen a reply by the Vice Chancellor's Chief of Staff to an alumnus, Martin Sugarman, which states:
"Ahead of the event, we published guidance on our expectations of what constitutes peaceful and lawful demonstration, and we re-shared the University's freedom of speech and acceptable behaviour policies. Protestors, who were our students, were permitted one-off entry to a small number of lecture theatres to briefly give their views.
We are aware that this behaviour has been upsetting for some of our visitors and are profoundly sorry that guests found the presence of protestors unsettling. Everyone on our campus deserves to feel confident and secure, and we do not tolerate any form of racism, discrimination, incitement, bullying or harassment at our University.
We are now reviewing our protocols for future events and the behaviours of a small minority of our students involved in the protests who went beyond what was an acceptable expression of their views."
Jonathan Turner, chief executive of UKLFI commented:
"I note that the University's Freedom of Speech Policy rightly states: 'The principle of free speech has the potential to be abused, including … by the use of threatening words or behaviour … which are intended to provoke racial or religious hatred …. All of our staff and students have a responsibility to consider these issues in the course of their work.' The University, too, has a responsibility to consider this. We intend to press the University further."
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