University authorities have introduced stringent new rules over protests after claims by students that ‘antisemitic chants’ and banners were displayed during a demonstration at Goldsmiths, University of London in New Cross last week.
Protests and rallies will now be confined to designated locations, and organisers must provide contact details.
The university also said it would record demonstrations, have the right to end them, and would liaise with the police.
Protestors chanted ‘From London to Gaza globalise the Intifada’ on the forecourt of the main Goldsmiths building on Lewisham Way during a pro-Palestine demonstration last week, a slogan seen by some as calling for the destruction of Israel. Footage was posted on social media.
The Met arrested nine people this week for displaying a banner with the phrase ‘Intifada’ on a house in central London.
A number of protestors continued the chant when they burst into the main Richard Hoggart Building.
The university admitted to the Goldsmiths Jewish Society that 30 members from the Palestine rally were permitted to walk through a university building to ‘avoid confrontation’ with security staff.
However, the university stressed this will not be permitted again, and they will “be seeking to limit areas where rallies can be held to minimise the impact on day-to-day activities on campus.”
Later, a banner, saying ‘From the River to the Sea’ – which many argue is antisemitic – was draped across the front steps of the university. It was removed by university security staff. The Home Office has proposed criminalising the use of the phrase in certain contexts.
Jilly Court, the Chief Operating Officer of the university has written to the Goldsmiths University College Union and the Goldsmiths Student Union, who are believed to have organised the protest “to remind them again of expected behaviours”, which include adhering to free speech within the legal requirements.
Court said that one of the problems was that the organisers of the rally last week are ‘opaque’. However, under the new rules, organisers must now tell the university when a protest will take place and provide their contact details.
It is understood that Jewish students have made complaints to police, but the Metropolitan Police have not been able to confirm whether any inquiry is underway.
A spokesperson for Goldsmiths told ELL: “We are prepared to record demonstrations held on campus as part of our effort to ensure Goldsmiths provide safety and support to our entire community.
“We have introduced guidance today to ensure the protests take place in line with the values of the college and law. Demonstrations must not use words or images that promote acts of terror or hate.
“We have no objection to the right to free speech or the right to protest in line with policies and values as well as being in line with the law.”
Several Jewish students told ELL that they feel unsafe on campus and excluded from Palestine rallies as a result of the chants used. Students have also been berated on social media for expressing their religious identity, while others have been told not to express that they are Jewish on campus.
Goldsmiths SU told ELL: “To our knowledge, no laws were violated during the events. Additionally, specific chants may not be legally defined, and we are not in a position to make decisions about these chants. These were not GSU-organised events, and we have not received any official communication about an ongoing investigation.”
Goldsmiths UCU not responded to requests for comment.
