Birmingham University students face disciplinary for protests

The European Legal Support Centre (ELSC) has submitted legal submissions to the Birmingham University Misconduct Panel on behalf of Mariyah Ali and Antonia Listrat, urging the university to dismiss the proceedings against the students.

The students were targeted for protesting Israel’s actions in Gaza and for demanding that the university divest from arms companies like BAE Systems. Their hearing, set for Monday 7 April, is part of a nationwide crackdown on Palestine solidarity across UK campuses.

Birmingham University: cracking down on pro-Palestinian voices

Despite mounting condemnation—including from Coventry MP Zarah Sultana, who called the disciplinary action “an assault on democratic rights”, and Gina Romero, United Nations Special Rapporteur, who expressed concern over “harassment, intimidation, and reprisals” against Birmingham University students for peaceful protest —the university has pressed ahead with punitive measures.

The student body has shown overwhelming support—electing Antonia as Guild President and Mariyah as Ethnic Minorities Officer and passing a Palestine solidarity motion (later blocked by union trustees). This disciplinary action directly contradicts the democratic will of students. Silencing elected representatives for protest sets a dangerous precedent for campus democracy.

A joint investigation by Liberty Investigates and Sky News revealed that at least 28+ UK universities have disciplined 113+ students and staff for Palestine activism since October 2023. Moreover, some institutions have collaborated with police and private spies to surveil and intimidate protesters, fuelling a climate of fear.

Under the Education Act 1986 and Human Rights Act 1998, universities are legally bound to protect freedom of expression, including the right to protest and challenge institutional policies. The University of Birmingham is violating these obligations by penalising students for their political beliefs and setting a dangerous precedent that stifles dissent. Such actions create a ‘chilling effect’, deterring students from engaging in critical debate and undermining the very purpose of higher education as a space for open inquiry.

The ELSC calls on Birmingham University to immediately dismiss these charges and uphold its legal duty to protect freedom of speech, expression, and assembly on campus. We urge students, staff, and the wider public to oppose this repression and stand in solidarity with those facing retaliation for their activism.

Punished for opposing genocide and war crimes

Anna Ost, Senior Legal Officer at ELSC, said:

We are deeply concerned that the university’s intention and effect in targeting these two students is to dissuade the wider University community from speaking out for Palestine. The University needs to change its approach, drop the disciplinaries, and demonstrate that fundamental freedoms are still promoted on its campus.

Mariyah Ali said:

The disciplinary process against Antonia and me is a blatant attempt to suppress dissent and silence the wider student movement. This authoritarian crackdown is not just an attack on our right to protest—it is a display of institutional Islamophobia and bureaucratic repression. The student movement for Palestine is stronger than ever. Instead of charging students, the University of Birmingham must focus on divesting from companies complicit in genocide and war crimes.

Antonia Listrat said:

Protest is an integral part of campus life and of a healthy and progressive society. As far-right rhetoric rises throughout the world, we need to make a huge effort to protect our rights and uphold international law and morality. Enabling genocide and profiting from human rights violations is quite a violent stance that the University of Birmingham has taken. Funding genocide is violent, protesting genocide is peaceful.

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