UNIVERSITIES CHALLENGED
From campus bans to barring events, freedom of expression is under threat in higher education. Peter Frankental and Alba Kapoor report on the silencing of UK students and academics – and how we can all help to defend dissent.
UK universities might be world leaders in academic excellence, but when it comes to supporting human rights, many are falling short. Our higher education sector has legally binding human rights obligations arising from its role fulfilling a public function. These include protecting the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, non-discrimination, academic freedom, privacy and education. But in restricting pro-Palestinian speech and protest since the Hamas-led attack of 7 October 2023 and Israel’s ongoing genocide of Palestinians, many universities are failing to meet these duties.
Since October 2023 students across the UK have been contacting Amnesty with concerns about their university’s behaviour. This prompted us to investigate whether and how universities have been suppressing Palestinian
12 AMNESTY SPRING 2026
solidarity on their campuses. Universities
are required to navigate
difficult situations between freedom of speech and preventing harassment. In some cases one person’s freedom of expression can be experienced by another as harassment. To help clarify the situation, in June 2025 the UK’s regulatory body for higher education, the Office for Students, issued guidance to universities which stressed that there is a ‘very high bar’ for restricting lawful speech. Restrictions, it said, must be based on clear, lawful criteria and meet the standards of necessity and proportionality.
Reputational concerns, public controversy, or vague allegations of discomfort are not sufficient grounds for interference. However, the evidence Amnesty has gathered in its investigation suggests otherwise.
PHOTOS Top left The launch of the Defend Dissent campaign © Marie-Anne Ventoura/AI Top right A student protest camp at the University of Cambridge, 7 May 2024 © Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images
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