A student at Manchester University has been suspended following accusations that he participated in a student protest occupation of the Simon Building two weeks ago (19 to 22 March), which included at least 50 students.
Manchester University: not a fan of being called out
As the Canary previously reported, the protests are related to a campaign to demand the end of the university’s ties to Israel, in particular its partnerships with BAE Systems, Tel Aviv University, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The student was accused not only over the protest but also of releasing an “unlawfully made” recording of an open meeting with vice chancellor Nancy Rothwell, in which she stated that she considered arms companies to be ethical.
The recording has since been removed from Instagram, though Manchester University has refused to lift the suspension, claiming that it is justified by the student’s alleged participation in the four-day student occupation.
The student was one of eleven disciplined last year for participating in occupations in support of the Rent Strikes. These saw over 650 students withholding their rent to demand a reduction and better cost of living support.
Notably, the panel ruled that the act of occupying a building was not punishable, but instead, only specific health and safety breaches during the protests were against Manchester University rules.
Suspended for publicising the truth
Now, the university has suspended the student pending investigation for “participating in the unauthorised occupation of the Simon Building”, with no additional allegations of wrongdoing, and no evidence of participation presented.
He has been given no right to appeal or defend himself against the allegations, using emergency measures personally approved by deputy vice chancellor Luke Georghiou. Manchester University has said he will be allowed to respond to the allegations in “due course”, with no date provided.
It has refused to provide any financial support to obtain legal advice against the allegations of unlawful actions from releasing the recording to the public.
Suspension pending investigation is described by Manchester University as a “precautionary act” against students accused of “serious misconduct.” It is clear that the allegations against the student do not meet this threshold.
Manchester University ‘targeting and harassing’ the student
Furthermore, the university’s procedure makes clear that unless the suspension is required urgently, then the student will have a chance to make representations. There is no evidence that this case is urgent. Even in urgent cases, the university’s procedure makes clear that the student should be able to make representations “as soon as reasonably practicable.”
This opportunity to respond is not being given. It is clear that this suspension is being used as a punitive attempt to shut down criticism rather than an genuine attempt to follow procedure.
The suspension bans any presence on campus except for academic or welfare purposes, effectively acting as a ban on participation in all future protests and occupations, or attending meetings on campus. This comes at the end of a two week period in which students requested that Manchester University produce a plan to implement their demands or face a new protest occupation.
The student, a 4th year Physics student, said:
I have been personally targeted and harassed by the Senior Leadership Team for being outspoken and criticising them regularly. This suspension won’t scare me away from being political or caring about the genocide currently going on in Palestine, that our University are complicit in. I have done nothing wrong except holding them to account for their actions, and I won’t be silenced
A ‘politically motivated suspension’
The organisation responsible for the occupations, Manchester Leftist Action, said in a statement:
We condemn the politically motivated suspension of a student activist for allegedly participating in our recent protest occupation. It is a cowardly move by university senior management which shows they are scared of being held to account for their actions. This individual was targeted due to having previously been disciplined for occupying during last year’s Rent Strikes, and having been one of the founders of the Nancy Out campaign in 2021.
This is a clear response by the University to our request that they make a plan to implement our demands, with the deadline for this request passing on Friday. This suspension will not change any of our plans to escalate our campaign – we are a democratic movement and removal of one person won’t stop us. The scared University management are attempting to harass individuals to prevent further action from being taken. This was a clear attempt to intimidate activists who are mounting a powerful and successful campaign to hold University management to account, and to scare fellow students from becoming more politically active.
We revealed that Nancy Rothwell believes that arms companies, supplying a genocide, are ethical and that the University has no framework for refusing weapons related research on ethical grounds. Instead of changing their process, the University answers this by attacking its own students.
It is imperative that we as the student activists continue to fight for our university to do better by ending partnerships with genocidally complicit companies like BAE systems and universities which are part of Israeli colonialism like HUJ and Tel Aviv Uni, and halting unethical research programs. We also demand the end to politically motivated targeting of students for participating in peaceful protests.
Featured image via Manchester Leftist Action
