A wave of pro-Palestinian student protest engulfed UK universities last year when thousands protested against the war in Gaza. Most started out peacefully on encampments with students pitching tents on university greens.
Now new evidence, uncovered by Sky News and Liberty Investigates, has shed some light on how some of those protests were policed.
We’ve seen instances of universities reporting protesters to police, starting dozens of disciplinaries, and in some instances we found universities collaborating with private surveillance firms.
What data tells us about handling of protests
Through Freedom of Information requests to more than 150 UK universities by Liberty Investigates, shared with Sky News, we found that at least 40 universities discussed Gaza protest activity with police forces or private intelligence organisations. Thirty-six universities had direct communication with the police.
Thirteen universities also discussed protests at meetings with police, including the University of London, Cambridge, and Manchester. Twenty-eight universities launched investigations against as many as 113 students, and staff were investigated for possible disciplinary breaches linked to their pro-Palestinian activism.
More than 20 universities also disclosed emails with a professional body for campus security, and correspondence appears to show collaboration between campus security departments and police to monitor student protesters, some even using intelligence from private security firms.
Though this is currently the clearest public picture of the scale of protest activity during that time, 47 universities did not provide the information requested. Most universities refused to specify the reasons and outcomes of the disciplinary investigations against students and staff, citing confidentiality issues.
Antisemitism on campus
The Community Security Trust, a charity that protects British Jews from terrorism and antisemitism, says it would be concerned if the number of student disciplinaries had not risen alongside the uptick of student protests and that otherwise, it would worry universities weren’t responding properly to anti-Jewish hatred.
Image: Suffian, head of the Leeds University Palestinian Society
Dave Rich, director of policy at the Community Security Trust, said it has seen a rise in the number of antisemitic incidents on student campuses since the 7 October Hamas terrorist attack on Israel in 2023. The Community Security Trust says these incidents have gone up fivefold compared to the previous academic year.
David-Lior Banoun Rappaz, an undergraduate student at LSE, says: “There have definitely been a lot of antisemitic incidents on campus. It’s about being in the minority and having the other group being extremely loud about it.”
The rise in antisemitism has also concerned Dov Forman, author, activist and an undergraduate at a London university.
“University is a place where you should develop your opinions, where there should be freedom of speech, but that has to be within the confines of the law, and that can’t be at the expense of Jewish students like myself, who at times feel like we’re being dehumanised and even criticised on campus.”
Image: Dov Forman, an undergraduate at a London university
Universities UK acts as the collective voice of 141 universities in the UK and insists it is always trying to balance the tension between freedom of speech and freedom of expression.
The body also defends the right to police protests and says it is legitimate for universities to liaise with the police, adding that this happens only “occasionally” and where action is taken it has to be proportionate.
Image: Universities UK vice president Malcolm Press
Students feel unsafe after Newcastle incident
For some pro-Palestinian student activists at Newcastle, one incident stands out to them, they say, for police using “heavy-handed tactics” to break up a protest.
On 29 May last year, a rally that was described as non-violent by academics at the university quickly descended into chaos with officers intercepting protesters with batons.
From footage obtained for our investigation from protesters who were there, more than 40 officers including dog handlers are seen attending a building being occupied by students. Dozens of officers were earlier seen pushing and struggling with crowds of agitated protesters outside the entrance, before drawing their batons as the police line collapsed and skirmishes broke out.
Footage taken outside a different entrance to the university’s Armstrong building shows police carrying and dragging limp protesters out of a building by their limbs. You can make out one student collapsing – who we found out was later taken to hospital by paramedics after having a fit.
One student, Ivy*, has photos of bruising on her arm – which she says were caused by being grabbed by an officer.
She says “it was really, really overwhelming” and “it took a long time to feel okay afterwards”.
Another, Hana*, a medical student volunteering to provide first aid at the protest, shared a medical letter describing her knee injury after she was trampled by the crowd. She says “as a visibly Muslim woman, being on campus at the time, even being in Newcastle, was just terrifying”.
The student protesters we spoke to all said they no longer feel safe on campus.
Image: Anonymous Newcastle student
Since the summer, academics have been calling for the university’s leadership to explain the handling of the incident.
The university maintains there were “legitimate concerns for public safety” and explained that is why they contacted the police.
Image: Anonymous Newcastle academic
Newcastle University said: “Where protest activity goes beyond the bounds of lawful protest, we reserve the right to seek assistance from the police to ensure the safety of everyone in our community.  All complaints to the University regarding staff and students have been investigated in line with our relevant policies.”
In a statement, a Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “Police attended the scene to engage with all parties involved, with the safety of everyone in attendance including the protesters, members of the public and officers paramount.
“While the activity mainly passed without incident, a number of protesters outside the building refused to comply with police instruction and seemed intent on gaining entry. The right to a lawful protest is a key part of any democracy, which the police uphold. However, we will not accept people using them as a means to commit crime.”
‘We have a right to speak out’
Suffian, a Leeds University student who is head of the Palestinian Society, feels that free speech on this issue is being restricted.
He was under a two-month investigation for “engaging in unauthorised protests and being a member of the encampment”.
Image: Suffian says he has a right to speak out
The 21-year-old said he felt the university was using its disciplinary process to prevent students from taking part in protests.
He says: “There is no right way to protest… no protest should be authorised.
“We have a right as people to speak out about it. No child should be a child of war.”
As part of the disciplinary, he says he attended a meeting where he was shown footage of himself entering a building and leading chants.
He was then issued a “formal warning”.
Since filming with him his investigation has concluded and the university says it will not be taking any further action.
Image: A protest at the University of Leeds last year
A spokesperson for the University of Leeds said: “The right to lawful protest must be carefully balanced between the rights of protesters to assert their views on the one hand and the rights of others to go about their business safely, unimpeded, and free from intimidation and harassment.
“The university has a clearly communicated student code and guidance on protests. Where students engage in misconduct, as outlined in our regulations, they may become subject to disciplinary action.”
It was expected that the three-day state visit would take place in September after Mr Trump let slip earlier in April that he believed that was when his second “fest” was being planned for.
Windsor was also anticipated to be the location after the US president told reporters in the Oval Office that the letter from the King said Windsor would be the setting. Refurbishment works at Buckingham Palace also meant that Windsor was used last week for French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit.
This will be Mr Trump’s second state visit to the UK, an unprecedented gesture towards an American leader, having previously been invited to Buckingham Palace in 2019.
Image: Donald Trump and Melania Trump posing with Charles and Camilla in 2019. Pic: Reuters
He has also been to Windsor Castle before, in 2018, but despite the considerable military pageantry of the day, and some confusion around inspecting the guard, it was simply for tea with Queen Elizabeth II.
Further details of what will happen during the three-day visit in September will be announced in due course.
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On Friday, Sky News revealed it is now unlikely that the US president will address parliament, usually an honour given to visiting heads of state as part of their visit. Some MPs had raised significant concerns about him being given the privilege.
But the House of Commons will not be sitting at the time of Mr Trump’s visit as it will rise for party conference season on the 16 September, meaning the president will not be able to speak in parliament as President Macron did during his state visit this week. However, the House of Lords will be sitting.
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After reading it, Mr Trump said it was a “great, great honour”, adding “and that says at Windsor – that’s really something”.
Image: In February, Sir Keir Starmer revealed a letter from the King inviting Donald Trump to the UK. Pic: Reuters
In the letter, the King suggested they might meet at Balmoral or Dumfries House in Scotland first before the much grander state visit. However, it is understood that, although all options were explored, complexities in both the King and Mr Trump’s diaries meant it wasn’t possible.
This week, it emerged that Police Scotland are planning for a summer visit from the US president, which is likely to see him visit one or both of his golf clubs in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire, and require substantial policing resources and probably units to be called in from elsewhere in the UK.
Precedent for second-term US presidents, who have already made a state visit, is usually tea or lunch with the monarch at Windsor Castle, as was the case for George W Bush and Barack Obama.
A small plane has crashed at Southend Airport in Essex.
Essex Police said it was at the scene of a “serious incident”.
Images posted online showed huge flames and a large cloud of black smoke, with one witness saying they saw a “fireball”.
A police statement said: “We were alerted shortly before 4pm to reports of a collision involving one 12-metre plane.
“We are working with all emergency services at the scene now and that work will be ongoing for several hours.
“We would please ask the public to avoid this area where possible while this work continues.”
Image: A huge fireball near the airport. Pic: Ben G
It has been reported that the plane involved in the incident is a Beech B200 Super King Air.
According to flight-tracking service Flightradar, it took off at 3.48pm and was bound for Lelystad, a city in the Netherlands.
One man, who was at Southend Airport with his family around the time of the incident, said the aircraft “crashed headfirst into the ground”.
John Johnson said: “About three or four seconds after taking off, it started to bank heavily to its left, and then within a few seconds of that happening, it more or less inverted and crashed.
“There was a big fireball. Obviously, everybody was in shock in terms of witnessing it. All the kids saw it and the families saw it.”
Mr Johnson added that he phoned 999 to report the crash.
Southend Airport said the incident involved “a general aviation aircraft”.
Four flights scheduled to take off from Southend this afternoon were cancelled, according to its website.
Flightradar data shows two planes that had been due to land at Southend were diverted to nearby airports London Gatwick and London Stansted.
Image: Plumes of black smoke. Pic: UKNIP
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said four crews, along with off-road vehicles, have attended the scene.
Four ambulances and four hazardous area response team vehicles are also at the airport, as well as an air ambulance, the East of England Ambulance Service said.
Its statement described the incident as “still developing”.
Image: Fire engines at the airport
David Burton-Sampson, the MP for Southend West and Leigh, posted on social media: “I am aware of an incident at Southend Airport. Please keep away and allow the emergency services to do their work.
“My thoughts are with everyone involved.”
Local councillor Matt Dent said on X: “At present all I know is that a small plane has crashed at the airport. My thoughts are with all those involved, and with the emergency services currently responding to the incident.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Another hint that tax rises are coming in this autumn’s budget has been given by a senior minister.
Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander was asked if Sir Keir Starmer and the rest of the cabinet had discussed hiking taxes in the wake of the government’s failed welfare reforms, which were shot down by their own MPs.
Trevor Phillips asked specifically if tax rises were discussed among the cabinet last week – including on an away day on Friday.
Tax increases were not discussed “directly”, Ms Alexander said, but ministers were “cognisant” of the challenges facing them.
Asked what this means, Ms Alexander added: “I think your viewers would be surprised if we didn’t recognise that at the budget, the chancellor will need to look at the OBR forecast that is given to her and will make decisions in line with the fiscal rules that she has set out.
“We made a commitment in our manifesto not to be putting up taxes on people on modest incomes, working people. We have stuck to that.”
Ms Alexander said she wouldn’t comment directly on taxes and the budget at this point, adding: “So, the chancellor will set her budget. I’m not going to sit in a TV studio today and speculate on what the contents of that budget might be.
“When it comes to taxation, fairness is going to be our guiding principle.”
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Afterwards, shadow home secretary Chris Philp told Phillips: “That sounds to me like a barely disguised reference to tax rises coming in the autumn.”
He then went on to repeat the Conservative attack lines that Labour are “crashing the economy”.
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10:43
Chris Philp also criticsed the government’s migration deal with France
Mr Philp then attacked the prime minister as “weak” for being unable to get his welfare reforms through the Commons.
Discussions about potential tax rises have come to the fore after the government had to gut its welfare reforms.
Sir Keir had wanted to change Personal Independence Payments (PIP), but a large Labour rebellion forced him to axe the changes.
With the savings from these proposed changes – around £5bn – already worked into the government’s sums, they will now need to find the money somewhere else.
The general belief is that this will take the form of tax rises, rather than spending cuts, with more money needed for military spending commitments, as well as other areas of priority for the government, such as the NHS.