UK universities briefed BAE Systems on pro-Palestine campus protests
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Thirteen British universities discussed handling pro-Palestine campus protests with BAE Systems, the UK's largest weapons manufacturer, according to documents obtained by Liberty Investigates and Al Jazeera. The correspondence included ramping up security at events and coordinating responses to criticism. The disclosures come as a UN expert described a 'troubling pattern' of universities taking security cues from weapons manufacturers.
Key Facts
- Thirteen British universities discussed pro-Palestine campus protests with BAE Systems, the UK's largest weapons manufacturer.
- The universities collectively receive up to 15 million pounds ($20m) a year from BAE Systems under funding agreements.
- In August 2024, BAE Systems encouraged the universities to develop a message to counteract a 'skewed narrative' from protesters, according to presentation slides.
- Following an October 2024 online careers event, the University of Sheffield disciplined four students after consulting BAE Systems.
- The disciplined students were given a choice of paying a 75-pound ($100) fine or signing an agreement not to participate in further unauthorised protests.
University-BAE Correspondence
The correspondence between universities and BAE Systems was uncovered in emails and internal documents obtained by Liberty Investigates and Al Jazeera. Among the institutions involved are the University of Manchester, the University of Nottingham, the University of Southampton, the University of Birmingham, the University of Strathclyde, and Cranfield University. These universities are considered 'strategic partners' by BAE Systems and collectively receive up to 15 million pounds ($20m) a year from the company. In August 2024, BAE Systems appears to have encouraged the group to develop a message to counteract an 'often skewed, but prominent narrative from protesters' on their partnerships, according to slides of a presentation titled 'On site protests'.
Student Disciplinary Actions
Following an October 2024 online careers event, during which protesting students posted messages such as 'BAE kills kids', an investigator at the University of Sheffield spoke to BAE Systems before deciding to discipline four people. The investigator concluded that the students 'may have negatively impacted the reputation of the university with a partner organisation'. The students were given the choice of either paying a 75-pound ($100) fine or signing an agreement not to participate in any further unauthorised protests. One of the disciplined students felt that BAE's influence was apparent, saying, 'At the end of the day, this comes down to the relationships the university has with these companies and trying to stop them being damaged.'
UN Expert Response
One United Nations expert said these disclosures suggest a 'troubling pattern' of universities taking 'operational cues and security strategies from weapons manufacturers to suppress their own students'. At the time of the August 2024 presentation, Israel had killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, including 10,000 children in Gaza since October 2023. A national movement of students had been calling on their institutions to cut ties with BAE Systems, which makes equipment used by Israel's military, among others they deemed complicit.
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