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Fury As Durham University Calls Off Gaza War Debate After “Mob” of Pro-Palestine Protesters “Locked” Students Inside Chamber

by Richard Eldred
9 June 2024 7:02 PM

Durham University has been slammed for its failure to uphold free speech, after cancelling a Gaza war debate due to pro-Palestine protesters locking students in a chamber for over two hours. The Mail has the story.

Students preparing the chamber for the Friday night debate – about whether “Palestinian Leadership is the Biggest Barrier to Peace” – found themselves locked inside when protesters created a human chain around the building.

Those who were set to defend the argument were Natasha Hausdorff, of U.K. Lawyers for Israel, investigative journalist David Collier and Lance Forman, a former Brexit Party MEP.

Students preparing the chamber “locked themselves in to prevent the mob entering the building”, Mr. Forman told the Mail. 

Union members called the University authorities to request police assistance to clear the entrance for the debate.

Mr. Forman said: “The University did not act and before long the mob grew in size and formed a human chain around the building to prevent access. 

“The students inside were by this point terrified that they would also break in. It was up to the University to speak to the police to facilitate this. But they backed down and caved into the mob.”

The Mail understands that the University could have classified the protesters as ‘trespassers’. If they had done so, the police would have been able to remove the protestors and allow the event to take place, but the University chose not to do this.

Throughout the night, the protestors banged drums, shouted chants and sang songs, including “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, “Israel is a terrorist state” and “Durham Uni you can‘t hide, we charge you with genocide.”

Mr. Forman condemned the University’s actions, stating: “It was an absolute disgrace that the University behaved in this way and did not allow us to make our case.

“They chickened out or were deliberately ensuring their students would not hear from outstanding speakers.

“If universities can’t protect free speech within academia they need to replace the chancellors with those who will.”

He said the students involved “were devastated and we were all looking forward to the engagement which would have helped shed light on a very fraught situation”.

Worth reading in full.

Tags: Durham UniversityFree SpeechIsrael-Hamas WarPro-Palestinian Protestors

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8 Comments
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Cecil B
Cecil B
3 years ago

Keegan is a cunt

Apologies but there is no other way of putting it

72
-2
Cecil B
Cecil B
3 years ago
Reply to  Cecil B

The South Sandwich Islands are on the green list if you fancy some winter sun

(and especially safe now that the coup has been crushed)

25
-1
PoshPanic
PoshPanic
3 years ago
Reply to  Cecil B

Might stop off on the way back from Yemen, another one on the Amber bucket list

23
-1
I am Spartacas
I am Spartacas
3 years ago
Reply to  Cecil B

Your description of Keegan is spot on – it also perfectly describes every other politician who went along with this nonsensical madness for the past twelve months.

Time to drop the niceties, take off the gloves and call a spade a spade.

69
-1
steadfastandy
steadfastandy
3 years ago
Reply to  Cecil B

Strong but pretty accurate. What upsets me is th govt. appear to think we will accept these fools and their b.s.

6
-1
Ozzie
Ozzie
3 years ago

Just goes to show how many are ignoring this nonsense of Johnson and his cronies. People are making their own minds up. Is this government colour blind as well as inept – if a country is really unsafe it should be red? This whole excitement about the Indian variant is fading very quickly – seems that it is no more transmissable than other variants (surprise, surprise!).

Last edited 3 years ago by Ozzie
64
-1
awildgoose
awildgoose
3 years ago

A passive-aggressive response to passive-aggressive guidance.

I like it.

48
-1
NonCompliant
NonCompliant
3 years ago

270K LMFAO

I guess a lot of people have had enough of this nonsense then?

I can only imagine how ridiculous the Govt’s counter move will be? Maybe we’ll fly Covid Marshalls out to Spain ?!?!?

38
-1
PoshPanic
PoshPanic
3 years ago
Reply to  NonCompliant

If you check companies house, I’m sure an outfit has been set up to take the £132 million contract for the holiday marshalls. The directors get a bonus of free Sangria too.

12
-1
eastender53
eastender53
3 years ago
Reply to  PoshPanic

Mate of Hancock has a Fish and Chip shop there. He’s got the contract.

10
-1
mka1221
mka1221
3 years ago

Daily Mail readers spitting feathers that people have the audacity to ignore guidance…and then moaning that the exact same guidance is destroying jobs and freedoms left, right and centre.

I say, good on anyone and everyone getting on with their lives. Ignore the government, go travelling. See the world from beyond a screen.

83
-1
BillRiceJr
BillRiceJr
3 years ago
Reply to  mka1221

If I was running for office in the UK, I would propose “guidance” that there can never be government guidance in the future.

40
-1
Julian
Julian
3 years ago
Reply to  BillRiceJr

Governments should give information, not guidance. No truly democratic country should allow its government to have a propaganda unit to influence behaviour, nor should they have access to funds to run advertising campaigns.

67
-1
Spikedee1
Spikedee1
3 years ago
Reply to  Julian

Yes so true. The government said, you can go here but you have to isolate for 10 days and take two tests. So how is that you cannot go?? Amber traffic lights means proceed with caution. NOT stop. Perhaps you should say what you fucking mean. Love the DM winging about selfish people. Fuck off. The only reason you had this experimental gene therapy was so you could go abroad. Just because you are so cowardly you won’t leave your house without permission does not mean you have the right to tell others what to do.

9
-1
Amari
Amari
3 years ago
Reply to  BillRiceJr

Guidance is advice. A sensible adult either follows the advice or ignores it, making their own decision as to what is the wisest choice.

5
-1
realarthurdent
realarthurdent
3 years ago

The sight of British people sticking two fingers up at the government brings a tear to the eye. It’s such a beautiful thing.

93
-1
Woden
Woden
3 years ago
Reply to  realarthurdent

With their masks on?

0
-2
bluemoon
bluemoon
3 years ago

Oh dear Oh dear, here’s another section of society to blame for the spread of covid – what will this variant be called? The Costa Covid?
Definitely asking to be locked down for the rest of the year.
Good for these holiday makers and I hope they ignore the stay at home nonsense.

57
-1
HaylingDave
HaylingDave
3 years ago

Yes! Sorry but fuck you, Boris. Fuck you Grant. Fuck you, Pritti. Fuck you, Matt. And for good measure, Fuck you, Dom! Fuck you, Vallance! I love it, people leaving in droves …

92
-1
Carrie Symonds
Carrie Symonds
3 years ago
Reply to  HaylingDave

You forgot. Fuck the holiday police.

38
-1
BillRiceJr
BillRiceJr
3 years ago

An “Amber list” is the talk of the land. My God.

The bureaucrats who produce such color-coded lists – and then preach to the public about the importance of paying attention to this lists – must be in heaven.

20
-2
J4mes
J4mes
3 years ago

At 3mins into that video, Julia Hartley Brewer demanded to know why our country is not replicating other European countries by requiring a ‘vaccine’ passport to cross their borders.

Very poor Julia, very poor indeed.

54
-1
Margaret
Margaret
3 years ago

We’ve all noticed the not so subtle change over the last week to more “personal responsibility” messages.

Back from our city break today, it was great to see that so many people had decided enough was enough and had booked a few days away, albeit in this country. They are making the government look even more foolish as it runs behind them waving a red flag. What planet is it on? Most people seem to be getting on with their lives despite government interference.

48
-1
Julian
Julian
3 years ago

I won’t travel again until there are no more tests or masks, so probably never, but am glad in a way that so many people are ignoring the guidance.

75
-1
adamino
adamino
3 years ago

In-freaking-credible. WhenEVER have we had an outbreak of respiratory viruses in the summer months!? Talk of this scariant or that colour country is really getting on my wick!

36
-1
RickH
RickH
3 years ago

I have no plans to travel abroad.

But why would I take advice about it from certifiable fuckwits?

54
-1
I am Spartacas
I am Spartacas
3 years ago

Good – maybe people are now starting to wake-up to this insane nightmare..

29
-1
baboon
baboon
3 years ago

This is fantastic! Just ignore the government! Ignore it all!

Let’s crash this entire rotten system by giving it zero credibility.

51
-1
Julian
Julian
3 years ago

Does travelling or visiting the pub, with all the need for attendant bullshit theatre, cement the madness or help us to remember and savour normal life?

I’m boycotting it all for now, and a total boycott may be more effective, but obviously most people won’t.

24
-1
eastender53
eastender53
3 years ago
Reply to  Julian

I took a walk around Gun Wharf yesterday. In the past an enjoyable experience. Sea, a few boats, a quiet London Pride. No more. Haunted ghouls, many wearing masks. Straggling ‘socially distanced’ queues outside half empty shops. Fools eagerly grasping the gift of a pub lunch, forgetting it is their right. Like a Lowry painting without the clogs. Not for me. I will not interact with any of this until the clock is back to Feb 2020. There was, is, and will only ever be, one ‘Normal’.

Last edited 3 years ago by eastender53
34
-1
sam s.j.
sam s.j.
3 years ago
Reply to  eastender53

hear hear . me too only one normal feb 2020

3
-1
I am Spartacas
I am Spartacas
3 years ago

‘ …the amber list countries are only for people who need to travel for business …’

Right … because its a well-known medical fact that the virus doesn’t attack business people – it only targets holiday-makers – this is a very clever virus that can now differentiate between a businessman and a tourist.

Last edited 3 years ago by Ember von Drake-Dale 22
58
-1
Annie
Annie
3 years ago
Reply to  I am Spartacas

And when the weary businessman returns to his hotel, changes into his shorts and Hawaiian shirt, and heads for poolside, does Covvie go STATION SCRAMBLE and send its Spitvires to get him?

22
-1
eastender53
eastender53
3 years ago
Reply to  Annie

The Hawaiian variant! Do try and keep up!

11
-1
Stevey
Stevey
3 years ago
Reply to  eastender53

Does that come with pineapple and ham?

10
-1
sjonesy1999
sjonesy1999
3 years ago

When this Government is involved then it is always a f**k up.

18
-1
Moist Von Lipwig
Moist Von Lipwig
3 years ago

“Priti Patel last night told those returning from abroad that they should expect a “knock on the door” from “holiday police” checking that they are isolating, with potential rule breakers being threatened with fines of up to £10,000.”

This is in no way totalitarian from Priti Vacant, nor is it enabling fraud…

35
-1
Annie
Annie
3 years ago
Reply to  Moist Von Lipwig

Potential rule breakers can be fined?
Minority Report?

23
-1
bringbacksanity
bringbacksanity
3 years ago
Reply to  Moist Von Lipwig

Knock knock.

“Who’s there ?”

“Mitie security division on behalf of the Home Office. Is Mr Smith home ?”

“Yes”

“Can I see him please?”

“No. He’s asleep”

“Ok. Thank you good bye”.

Another flaw. How would said Mite person have any idea who was who ? They won’t have your photo will they, they can’t come in and check. They can’t do bugger all. What hogwash.

19
0
ebygum
ebygum
3 years ago
Reply to  Moist Von Lipwig

Where I live I see a policeman about twice a year, if I’m lucky. I’m not vaguely worried that I’ll ever see a ‘holiday Marshall’ whatever the circumstances.

2
0
Annie
Annie
3 years ago

I’m not ready to face Covvairport hell myself, but my fervent good wishes go to all Amber Persons.
If a million Ambers go and come back, and Ugli Patel’s thugs make 10,000 calls a day, what are the chances of any Amberer copping a fine?

34
0
Julian
Julian
3 years ago
Reply to  Annie

We faced that hell last October to go to Stockholm – the last time we felt we were in a sane country – and it was worth every minute of the hell. But I am not sure I will go anywhere for a while now, unless I can get a green card.

11
0
Annie
Annie
3 years ago
Reply to  Julian

Aha, Sweden.Went there a few years ago, decided I could live there quite happily. Uppsala for choice.

9
0
ebygum
ebygum
3 years ago
Reply to  Annie

Agreed, absolutely anything that throws a spanner in the works is fine with me. The more people get on with stuff the harder it is to put them back in the box.

10
0
JohnK
JohnK
3 years ago
Reply to  Annie

Pretty minimal, you’d have thought. Has she not realised that the CPS haven’t charged anyone, absolutely zero, under so-called ‘laws’ like that?

3
0
ArtC
ArtC
3 years ago

I have every intention of going to our apartment in Gran Canaria after having to pay an extra 275 squid to Ryanbastardair to transfer my flight from last year to this, believing by this time we’d be back to normal. How naïve I was. If the Covid holiday bastards knock on my door, I’ll get the cats to say I’m still on holiday.

22
0
cloud6
cloud6
3 years ago

The tipping point to a police state.

Priti Patel last night told those returning from abroad that they should expect a “knock on the door” from “holiday police” checking that they are isolating, with potential rule-breakers being threatened with fines of up to £10,000.

For maximum effect, the ” Knock” would be 02.00 am to 03.00 am, complete with a battering ram for those who refuse to open the door.

25
0
Carrie Symonds
Carrie Symonds
3 years ago
Reply to  cloud6

When I was isolating I had a knock on the door from a covid fucker who I told to fuck off. They have no powers so the only two words you should say to them are fuck off. You can add a few more if you to of course.

26
0
smithey
smithey
3 years ago
Reply to  Carrie Symonds

You should have answered the door pretending to cough and splitter all over the Covid inspector

7
0
bringbacksanity
bringbacksanity
3 years ago
Reply to  Carrie Symonds

You actually had one turn up ? They exist ? No fucking way ?

6
0
bringbacksanity
bringbacksanity
3 years ago
Reply to  cloud6

Fines that of course are going to be rejected by any court in the land and rightly so. Might as well fine people a million pounds for all the good the fine is. How about ten years in Jail ?

8
0
epythymy
epythymy
3 years ago

“ if they have to go to an amber-list country, then please bear in mind that you will have to self-isolate, you’ll have to take tests and do your passenger locator form and all the rest of it, but you also have to self-isolate for 10 days when you get back.”

For many people this is not dramatically different enough from their day to day lives over the past year to be a compelling argument against going. Stay at home? Easy! In addition, how will they police the self isolation of 300,000 people every two days? Assuming 1m a week? That’s a lot of doors to knock on.

20
-1
Cecil B
Cecil B
3 years ago

The regime has been caught out by it’s own lies

People are so thick they believe the lies

They told the people they were going to vaccinated and once they were vaccinated they could go on holiday. The morons believed it and actually do believe that they are vaccinated

Believing they are vaccinated and invincible they are now going on holiday cos that’s what the regime told them

It’s not a mass freedom movement

It’s a mass movement in being thick (Although they won’t come to harm because there is no threat to them in the first place)

They will come back from hols and say the vaccines worked

The events of the past year have stretched my mind to the point that lyrics to McArthur Park now make sense

26
0
Andrea Salford
Andrea Salford
3 years ago

Love Julia, but the minute she quotes the rights of ‘people that have had both their vaccines’ I turn off and consider her ‘controlled opposition’. She is endorsing apartheid.

26
0
Mike Yeadon
Mike Yeadon
3 years ago
Reply to  Andrea Salford

I agree & no longer listen to her.
I briefed her in detail some time ago,
Then she went to be vaccinated.
I clapped by palm to my forehead at that news.

6
0
Diana Dumitriu
Diana Dumitriu
3 years ago

British nationals cannot enter Spain and I expect the same is true for France and other EU countries Requisitos de entrada en España (exteriores.gob.es)

With the announcement such as indian variant this is likely to be the case for a while longer.
Does anybody know how did the gov experts compared the variant here with the one in India. I expect it is all pulled out of a hat.

2
0
chaos
chaos
3 years ago

watch them scramble back when the government shift the goalposts again…

2
0
frankfrankly
frankfrankly
3 years ago

I know several people who have just flown to Pakistan & I also know that they will not isolate on their return and will definitely visit our home with all the news!

4
0
Mike Yeadon
Mike Yeadon
3 years ago
Reply to  frankfrankly

Excellent. It’s stupid & unnecessary.

2
0
chris c
chris c
3 years ago

I didn’t use my car much for a while during the last lockdown.

The battery went flat and needed replacing.

I wonder what state al those airliners stood down for months are in. How can firms with no income service them?

0
0
Mike Yeadon
Mike Yeadon
3 years ago

Excellence news that people are taking responsibility for their own risk assessments & getting moving, including abroad.
When did you ever hear of a state saying you can’t leave?
North Korea & the former East Germany?
And U.K.

8
0
Mike Yeadon
Mike Yeadon
3 years ago

A friend who lives a mile away creates itineraries for rich people going on holiday. He often sets up cars both ends & flights for up to a dozen wealthy people.
Very little fall off in business. The elite still slipping down the approach road to LHR & off they go, pretending they’re preparing real estate for sale or rent or contemplating real estate purchases.
The elites are laughing at the oiks.

7
0
CarrieAH
CarrieAH
3 years ago

.

Last edited 3 years ago by CarrieAH
0
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