Amnesty report says UK universities restricted pro-Palestinian activism, examining 26 cases and citing discipline, campus bans and limits on protests

A report published by Amnesty International on 20 October says universities across the UK restricted pro-Palestinian activism through disciplinary action, campus bans and limits on peaceful protests against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The report, titled *Silencing Dissent*, examines 26 university case studies from October 2023 to September 2025.

It documents students facing discipline for activities including chanting, clapping and wearing Palestinian keffiyehs. Amnesty says Palestinian, Arab and Muslim students were disproportionately targeted, while international students faced additional pressure because disciplinary proceedings could threaten their immigration status.

The report cites cases at Oxford, Cambridge and the London School of Economics, where universities took measures against pro-Palestinian demonstrations, including seeking court injunctions and barring students from campus. At LSE, internal communications reportedly called one demonstration a “temper tantrum by children” and described some students as dressed as “terrorists.”

Amnesty also raised concerns about government pressure, coordinated security measures and the potential use of counterterrorism measures against Palestine-related activism. The organization argued that many restrictions did not meet the legal standards required to limit freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

“This is an attack on our freedom of speech and the right to protest from the very institutions who are supposed to encourage free thought,” said Kerry Moscogiuri, chief executive of Amnesty International UK.