Academic freedom of speech attacked again as university censors teaching on occupation, genocide and complicity
The University of Sheffield has cancelled a planned – and previously approved – ‘teach-in’ by the university’s lecturers and researchers on the subject of the Gaza genocide, sponsored by the UCU union, on the grounds that it was ‘linked to a controversial event/topic’ and therefore posed a security risk. One element of the teach-in was to cover the university’s complicity through its investments and partnerships.
One of the lecturers posted a thread on Twitter/X about the university’s assault on academic speech and its links with companies linked to Israel’s slaughter of tens of thousands of Palestinians – and she included a link to a fundraiser for Palestinian young people to study in the UK:
The university’s action forms part of a long Establishment war on free speech in support of Palestinians and others oppressed and attacked by Israel. The Tories in government threatened universities with funding cuts if they refused to sign up to a ‘definition’ of antisemitism that legal experts and even its author says is unfit for purpose because it discourages criticism of Israel; UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) also suspended its whole advisory committee on equality last year because a couple of members had posted tweets criticising Israel’s slaughter of Palestinian civilians.
And the information war in favour of Israel is not limited to universities. Even some unions and their leaderships have attempted to prevent their officials and reps showing solidarity with Gaza or educating other members about Israel’s oppression. Labour Health Secretary Wes Streeting has also promoted Israeli companies for government-funded projects.
Nor is Sheffield the only university with ties to genocide-linked companies and institutions. With the Gaza genocide well underway in January, twelve UK universities accepted government cash to sign new partnerships with Israel.
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‘This decision by Sheffield Uni is bad, some say it’s rather stinking.
Can’t have University students there,
actually critically thinking!’
And here we all are thinking the (ahem!) “Customer” was Sovereign?
Say it ain’t so!
If I were the students, I’d ask for a refund on the University fees under the Trades Description Act.
University buildings are the only place I wanna see an Occupation. Hope the SU has had the same idea.
Do they still teach Orwell?!
No surprise. This is the university who share the genocidal chaplain with leeds university. An IOF “soldier” who caused uproar after returning from Gaza.
They will fight their right for him to advocate there but cant possibly be seen to support anti genocide groups
https://nowthenmagazine.com/articles/sheffield-students-protest-return-of-university-chaplain-who-fought-with-israeli-defence-forces-in-gaza
Wonder why he returned? Too much morality ? Probably because the rude enemy ere fighting back. Dangerous times for the IDF.
Indeed, these wimp cowards don’t like hand-to-hand combat. They prefer the Death From Above model of eliminating the enemy without getting your hands bloody. Wonder who they learned that from…
In Germany it’s being done by Olaf Scholz and his SDP, in France by Macron and his centrist dogmatism and in Briain by the least-popular ‘new’ PM ever – Keir Starmer: Building an authoritarian fascist recovery where free-thought and free-speech are verboten and likened to terrorism.
And I have always been wonderingvhow someone like Sholz could be elected as Kanzler. He and Kid starver are in my opinion very similar: both have not learned from History and both are putting their respective countries at risk. At least Scholz could be convinced to stop licencing expirts of weapons to that there genocidal state, but that took a lot of persistence in explaining the consequences to him. I was shocked to my core when I saw a video on one of the social media pages which showed the extreme violence used by police in respect o the Celtic Fan because he was holding a palestinian flag. German police at its worst.
Their anti-Palestine censorship is atrocious, but it extends far wider. “Thoughtcrime-tweeting” is being prosecuted in Germany. “Anti-terrorism protocols” being instigated as a show of Establishment-strength when they mount their trials.
Seriously, criticising the German State’s management of the PHEIC (‘public health emergency of international concern’) called ‘covid’ is showing ‘New Order’ Germany to be more chillingly authoritarian than (even) Nazi Germany.
If centrist Labour keeps power for the next 4/5 years, Starmer will bust-a-gut to make Britain as authoritarian in 2029 as ‘new order’ Germany is today.
https://off-guardian.org/?s=germany&submit=Search
You’re certainly right about Germany, qwerty. Ask CJ Hopkins…
https://cjhopkins.substack.com/p/guilty
And of course Sheffield university’s genocidal chaplain looked so pleased with his genocide in the photos he was posting on social media
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-war-students-call-jewish-chaplain-fighting-army-resign
Even his title is fraudulent. Chaplain is a Christian title, as everyone well knows. The fact he gets away with adopting it as his foreign agent cover shows how pathetic the church is nowadays. Jesus would have a fit!
Absolutely right Timfrom. I guess chaplain doesnt sound as bad as IOF murderer.
Michael Hudson and Richard Wolf on US/Israeli symbiosis:
Really enjoyed that Dave, thanks. Israel and Ukraine, two American agents whose modus operandi is terrorism. Thank heavens that Iran is only retaliating by bombing military facilities (despite what Sir Liar Starmer says).