The violent anti-Israel protesters who disrupted an Israel Society event at King’s College, London last month have been banned from the campus after it was concluded they “crossed the line” in carrying out their demonstration.
As Breitbart London reported, the event descended into chaos and dozens of police were deployed after the anti-Israel thugs smashed windows, threw chairs, set off fire alarms and “assaulted” a speaker on January 19. No arrests were made.
Over 100 students had turned up to hear Ami Ayalon, the former head of Israel’s secret service, speak at the gathering organised by KCL Israel Society and LSE Israel Society. However, Mr Aylon’s talk was disrupted and then abandoned because of the actions of around 60 members of the ‘Action Palestine’ group.
“As soon as the doors shut the frustrated anti-Israel activists pounded the doors and the windows looking into the talk,” explained eye witness Richard Millett. Protesters waved Palestinian flags and shouted, “Free Palestine!” and “F*ck Israel!”
King’s College London Student Union (KCLSU) told Jewish News after the incident: “We strongly support free speech- student groups should be able to host external speakers.. However, we don’t support violent action taking place, especially around our students, and we don’t support action leading to an approved event closing early.
King’s subsequently launched what it called a “swift and comprehensive investigation” into the events of the night. Its findings concluded that the disruption had been intended. The incident will now be referred to a student disciplinary committee.
The full report can be read here.
The university said in a statement: “A number of individuals intentionally disrupted the rights of others to exercise freedom of speech within the law.
“Those individuals who chose to behave inappropriately crossed a line and should be held accountable for doing so.”
The university’s report added: “As the majority of the students involved in entering the Norfolk building were not King’s students, we will assist other London institutions in any way we can to take action under their disciplinary procedures.”
The 20-page report recommends that one King’s student should face disciplinary action, while a second, who entered the Norfolk building but did not participate in the protest, should not receive any reprimand.
Students from other universities who took part in the violence should also not be allowed to attend future King’s events, it said.
Staff, students and college officials will receive mandatory training to ensure such protests are not allowed to spiral out of control in the future, it added.
King’s president and principal, Professor Ed Byrne, said: “We have a duty to uphold freedom of speech within the law and will fight against intolerance wherever it is found.
“Intimidating behaviour is completely unacceptable and goes against everything that we stand for at King’s. We do not, and will not, condone the use of any form of violent protest.”
Thirteen students’ unions across the UK now back the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and four have introduced full academic boycotts, meaning representatives of Israeli institutions are banned outright.
Follow Simon Kent on Twitter: Follow @SunSimonKent or e-mail to: skent@breitbart.com
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