Against Antisemitism

There is little doubt that last week’s FSU panel debate on ‘free speech and the right to protest in the current moment’ was an essential conversation for us to be having in these unsettling times. For those who missed it, the recording is available here. Our expert legal guests deftly laid out the distinctive elements of both public order law and terrorism law, before drawing out comparisons with their practical application on Britain’s streets. Some of the most memorable observations from that discussion include the scope of the public square, especially where some communities close themselves off from the cultural mainstream, and the critical importance of context when it comes to protest chants, for both speaker and listener. Sadly, EDI is back on our agenda as King’s College London now requires staff members seeking promotion to evidence their diversity credentials, even pointing applicants to Stonewall as an example of good practice. EDI’s ‘politicisation of everything’ is also evident in today’s final item on the deletion of anti-indoctrination clauses within government funding agreements. Yet, while the EDI juggernaut continues its destructive journey into every corner of the UK’s institutions, we finish with the thought that the FSU will stay focused on deploying its own counter-offensive, winning over 70% of cancel culture cases as we do.