Cambridge uses Prevent to ‘restrict’ pro-Palestinian protests, students say

Student activists claimed the Prevent counter-terrorism program was being used to “restrict” pro-Palestinian protests in Cambridge.

The university’s Amnesty International society tabled a motion at the Students’ Union (SU) student council meeting this week to express concerns that the project leads to “violations” of freedom of speech. expression and the right to demonstrate.

Prevent is a national counterterrorism program which legally requires public bodies, including schools and universities, to report people who may turn to extremist activities.

The motion claims the bill “prevents freedom of assembly, acts as a tool for student surveillance, and unfairly targets the Muslim population.”

The group argued that “in recent times, Prevent has restricted student activism, particularly pro-Palestinian activities.”

They added: “At Cambridge University this has resulted in aggressive responses from colleges, cancellation of events and policing of events.”

Amnesty says the Prevent program as a whole “violates some of our most fundamental human rights and espouses racist, Islamophobic and disability rhetoric.”

Activists, speaking at the League meeting, claimed colleges had used the system to cancel and control student events. They also said Prevent allows colleges to be “aggressive” toward political corporations.

The authors of the motion cited an Amnesty International report report which claims that people “have been referred to Prevent for expressing non-violent beliefs”.

“Such referrals undermine the rights to freedom of expression and thought,” the report said.

The student council motion was tabled by the League’s BME officer, Maroof Rafique. He said University that the campaign plans to educate students on the “implications” of the project.

Rafique said: “The Prevent strategy has been widely criticized for its discriminatory impact, particularly on Muslim communities, and for its stifling of freedom of expression. »

Regarding the pro-Palestinian protests, he added: “There have been cases where expressions of solidarity have led to dismissals being prevented, thereby increasing concerns on the impact of this policy on legitimate political activism and freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.

“The Cambridge SU BME campaign expressed solidarity with Palestinian protests and called on the University to divest from arms companies,” he said.

The Amnesty report also claims that the project led to “interventions in public events, often stifling discussion on topics like Islamophobia and Palestine.”

The report, published in July, is titled: “It’s the thought police: the duty of prevention and its dissuasive effects on human rights. »

Amnesty says Prevent is leading to “self-censorship of students and staff” on campus, citing a report by the government’s Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR), which says “fear and confusion” over Prevent’s mandate “was a factor limiting freedom of expression on campus”.

The report also includes a Cambridge case study, describing a Palestinian Society event on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement in 2017. Dr. Ruba Salih was removed as chair of the event by the university’s reference group for prevention.

But, according to the report, the University later apologized to Dr. Salih, saying their decision “evoked strong and understandable concerns within our own community and beyond regarding academic freedom.”

Cambridge SU already opposes Prevent, under a policy called “students are not suspects”. This resolution claims that the system “was used to create an extensive surveillance architecture to spy on the public and control dissent.”

“The implementation of the Prevent Duty not only isolates Muslim students, but also undermines the civil liberties of other groups such as environmental, political, and humanitarian activists,” the League policy states.

Last month, the daughter of murdered MP David Amess claimed that the Prevent program is not “fit for purpose”.

The Amnesty Society’s comments come after months of pro-Palestinian protests in Cambridge. On Wednesday, the Cambridge for Palestine (C4P) student group reoccupied Senate lawn, calling for student participation in an ongoing review of arms investments.

A University of Cambridge spokesperson said: “The University strongly supports the rights of its students to freedom of expression and protest, all within the law. The University attaches great importance to the balance between its legal obligations under the duty of prevention and its commitment to protecting freedom of expression and academic freedom.

The Home Office has been contacted for comment.