Update on Cancellation of Teach-In and disproportionate restrictions placed on Palestine related activities

At the start of October, we wrote to members in relation to the Palestine related Teach-in organised by UCU members which was prevented from going ahead by the University (details of this here). Since then, we have sought to engage with the University and its Security operations in good faith to address any concerns they may have and to request them to ensure that staff are able to practise our academic freedom within the University premises without disproportionate barriers and challenges. However, in the face of repeated pushbacks in relation to Palestine related activities, we have had to make the difficult choice to hold these events at Sheffield Hallam University, which has not adopted the same extreme securitisation as our own university management, in order to ensure the safety of attendees. We are writing to members as we want to be transparent about our discussions with security and why we have refused to accept their proposed restrictions on our events. 

As well as rescheduling the previously cancelled teach-in, the Sheffield UCU working group on Palestine is co-hosting the Campus Voice for Palestine – Solidarity against Scholasticide Tour, a national tour supported by UCU and BRICUP. The tour is an incredible opportunity to hear directly from Palestinian academics and learn how we can best support Palestinian academics and Universities during these times, when Israel has destroyed all of the Universities in Gaza. This tour has been organised as the result of resolutions passed overwhelmingly at UCU’s 2024 national congress. Events have already taken place at the Universities of Nottingham, Leeds and Newcastle without controversy or incident.  

In accordance with the University’s process for room booking and risk-assessment around hosting an external speaker, the request for room-booking, along with all details about the events and speakers, had been sent to the University on 11th October, with three week’s notice before the event’s date of 5th November. Meanwhile, UCU members met with Security and HR, on the 15th October, to discuss the reasons cited for cancelling our teach-in, intending to determine a set of principles, in relation to University policy, to allow for staff to plan and conduct activities smoothly. We informed Security that we have followed the policy as stated by the University, however we were then told that there are ‘gaps’ in the Policy that may need to be addressed separately. We were told that any event to do with Palestine and Gaza is ‘controversial’ and thus requires an independent assessment by University Security, and agreement to any ‘restrictions’ before it can go ahead. Security asked us to move the location of our events to more discreet locations and to follow a registration policy (for both internal and external events), both of which we agreed to in the hope of allowing the event to go ahead. 

Despite this discussion, Security then responded to our room-booking request with a range of additional restrictions that they suggested are also applicable to any internal events relating to Palestine. Of these, three were wholly unacceptable to us: 

1. “Attendance will be pre booked (using Google sheet) and attendees notified to UoS Security Operations manager 6 days prior to the event.
2. UoS Security will be present as directed by the Security Operations Manager. They will control access to the building and will check Ucards (or photo ID in the case of external guests) against the attendee list prior to entry. Unless it is clear there is some disturbance or at the request of the UCU organisers, UoS Security will not be present in the Workshop room. 
3. No placards, banners or face coverings (other than for religious observance, notified in advance) will be allowed. The security operations manager reserves the right to search bags prior to entry if required”. 

Despite the University initially telling the press that our teach-in was cancelled because we had not conducted a risk assessment, the University were not interested in seeing our own risk assessment, and ignored our repeated requests that the University provide us with a copy of their own internal risk assessment. The University have been unable to evidence any potential risks regarding this specific event, or point to any issues occurring from the events we have held previously. 

It is our view that these requirements are disproportionate, unnecessary, and lie in contradiction with University policy. Searching attendees of an education related event and requiring them to state in advance if they intend to wear a religious face cover or medical mask is not in line with the University’s Security Strategy, which assures us that “Security must not be a hindrance to academic activity but a necessary ingredient in creating an environment where staff and students can indeed succeed and flourish” and their objective to “Foster a safe and inclusive campus where students and staff from diverse backgrounds feel protected from hate crime, discrimination, and violence, reinforcing university policies on equality and diversity.” 

Our highest concerns remains that some of our audience and speakers are going to be Palestinian, who may find such restrictions especially traumatizing, and who  are currently living with the reality of the genocide of their peoples. The disproportionate targeting of marginalised students on campus has been well-documented and we refuse to further contribute to this. 

Over the last year, UCU has hosted many Palestine related talks, none of which posed a level of risk which is commensurate to the University’s proposed measures.  

It is unfortunate to see that an academic tour that is being held within 9 universities between October and November cannot be held within our own campus. Meanwhile, the Sheffield part of the tour will now be held at Sheffield Hallam University where the event is being held without any restrictions. We are extremely grateful to Sheffield Hallam UCU for their support in co-organising this.