Mick Hartley

Shutting down free speech if they don't agree with some of the speakers. It's all the rage.

Pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Durham locked students inside a building after a cancellation of a debate titled “This house believes Palestinian leadership is the biggest barrier to peace,” according to the university, media and participant reports.

Dr Shahid Mahmoud, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Durham University, was reportedly behind the event’s cancellation.

Ha. Inclusion doesn't extend to Jews.

The debate would have featured a number of experts including Natasha Hausdorff of UK Lawyers for Israel; investigative journalist David Collier and Lance Forman, a former Brexit Party Member of European Parliament. The pro-Palestinian side of the debate would have been represented by Chris Doyle, the director of the council for Arab-British Understanding; Dr Peter Shambrook, a specialist Middle Eastern historian and Mohab Ramadan a Durham University undergraduate.

Forman wrote on X that "I’m in Durham tonight to debate “Palestinian Leadership is the biggest barrier to peace” Only the University just caved in to a fascist mob and cancelled the debate at last minute. Free speech died in Durham tonight! They’re afraid of hearing the truth"….

Hausdorff told the Telegraph that students attending the debate were locked inside by a “mob” of pro-Palestinian protesters, who formed a human chain around the building.

The Durham Students for Palestine group condemned the choice of speakers, and accused the university of allowing the Union to become “a Zionist mouthpiece.”

They appear not to understand the concept of "debate". 

The tab reported the "mob" barricaded the doors in front of the building to prevent members and speakers from entering and leaving and claimed that those inside were trapped for an hour and 45 minutes.

The protesters also reportedly banged on the windows of the building, while shouting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

Hausdorff told The Telegraph: “Around a dozen students were preparing the chamber for the debate then a mob formed a human chain blocking them inside.

“They were stuck inside the debate chamber for more than two and a half hours. The police took no action because the university refused to give them a mandate to take action.”

“Students were in tears because they expected the university to have their back, but they sided with the mob.

“My heart goes out to all the students affected. It’s shameful, we’ve been told it’s the diversity official.”Students are said to have been escorted out of the premises, after several hours of being trapped, by police. UK Lawyers for Israel posted on social media: “Durham University shut down free speech today at the Durham Union Society, home of free speech since 1842.

“Hundreds of students hoped to attend, but the uni caved into a mob chanting for genocide.”

Yep.