0 comments
On November 27th, three officers of the King’s College London Students’ Union released a statement condemning the silence on Israeli military actions and advocating for solidarity with Gaza’s victims. The officers were subsequently suspended, raising concerns about dissent suppression.
‘This temporary reprieve from Israeli military actions has led us to the unequivocal conclusion that silence is no longer acceptable, and students deserve an explanation for the deafening silence of their Students’ Union’; this is an excerpt from a statement issued by three officers of the King’s College London Students’ Union (KCLSU) on the 27th of November.
In the aftermath of the October 7th attack by Hamas, the situation in Gaza has evolved into what is now a genocide.
Since the beginning of the spree of Israeli attacks in Gaza, three of the six KCLSU officers- Hassan Ali (VP Welfare & Community), Alizèh Abrar (VP Postgraduate), and Sadaf Abbas Cheema (VP Education- Arts & Sciences), had been pushing for the students’ union to release a statement expressing solidarity with the victims.
However, due to lack of intended action from the union, the trio spoke out in support of the victims in Gaza on their Instagram accounts by posting a statement, only to face repercussions not long after.
View this post on Instagram
The following day, they were confronted in a KCLSU meeting, with threats of immediate suspension if they failed to retract their statement.
Additionally, they alleged ‘hostile gestures’ were made towards them, particularly that a printed copy of their statement was ‘waved’ in their faces. They also claimed that they were not given the opportunity to adequately defend their actions in said meeting.
Days later, the trio found themselves debarred from office, raising concerns about the suppression of dissenting voices.
In response to the KCLSU’s decision, a Palestinian student on campus says, ‘in an academic institution that prides itself on critical thought, it is disheartening to witness the suppression of representatives who bravely speak out and represent the student body.’
What has the response been to the action against the officers?
This clampdown on pro-Palestinian voices within the union has caused a wave of social media support in favour of the debarred officers under the name of #HandsOffOurOfficers. The movement involves over 20 student societies expressing solidarity with the three Vice-Presidents.
Furthermore, the Central London Universities for Palestine Coalition orchestrated a mass student walkout to demand the reinstatement of the officers.
Composed of a crowd of over 100 people, the march began from Bush House on King’s College London’s Strand campus and concluded at the Old Palace Yard outside parliament.
This march comes over two weeks following the memorial of King’s alumnus Dr Maisara Alrayyes, a Chevening award recipient and postgraduate student in Women and Children’s Health, who was killed under the rubble in Gaza due to Israeli air strikes.
His demise has deeply affected students on campus, instilling concerns of the welfare of other alumni residing in Gaza.
We are devastated to learn about the death of Chevening Alumnus Dr Maisara Al Rayyes and members of his family. We send our deepest condolences to his surviving family. Our thoughts, and the thoughts of the Chevening Alumni community are with you. pic.twitter.com/hikGi3A5it
— Chevening Awards🇬🇧 (@CheveningFCDO) November 8, 2023
Following this, Vice President Hassan Ali discussed intentions to create a scholarship for international students in honour of the late alumnus Dr. Maisara Alrayyes in a recent Accountability Panel. The realisation of this plan, however, remains contingent upon his reinstatement.
