Staff condemn Manchester University for “violation of academic freedom”

Protest at Whitworth Art Gallery, University of Manchester, over censorship of solidarity with Palestine

JVL Introduction

Attempts to drive Whitworth Art Gallery director, Alistair Hudson, out of his post have generated a wave of support for him from academics and cultural workers, incensed at the University of Manchester’s effective participation in UK Lawyers for Israel’s campaign to suppress Palestinian voices.

The university had ordered the gallery to remove a Palestinian solidarity statement by Forensic Architecture, creators of a major installation displayed at the Whitworth in August 2021. UKLFI had alleged that the statement was antisemitic.

Almost 200 University staff have now put their names to the letter below calling for an end to the harassment of Hudson and an unequivocal apology for “this grave violation of academic and artistic freedom of expression.”

The letter states: “It is damaging and dangerous that the UoM supported the idea that a statement against Israel’s war crimes against the Palestinian people was an act of antisemitism, and forced its removal. This was not only a violation of the academic freedom of Forensic Architecture, but also a violation of the principle that universities should provide a space for free critical inquiry and opinion.”

The latest letter follows solidarity action taken earlier by artists withdrawing work scheduled to appear at the Gallery if the threats to Hudson were not withdrawn.

A petition in defence of the Gallery staff can be signed here.

Statement of opposition to the attempt to force out Whitworth Art Gallery director, Alistair Hudson, signed by University of Manchester staff

Staff across the University of Manchester (UoM) are gravely concerned and outraged at the attempt to force out the Whitworth Art Gallery (WAG) director, Alistair Hudson over the Forensic Architecture exhibition, Cloud Studies August 2021. We demand that he be reinstated and an apology issued by the UoM to this grave violation of academic and artistic freedom of expression.

The WAG has a duty to provide a space for freedom of artistic and academic expression to its exhibitors. The UoM has a duty to protect and support staff against attacks on academic and artistic freedom of expression. We believe that these two basic principles have been violated by the UoM through this action and the actions undertaken in August 2021, which were opposed by staff and students at the time.

These actions were:

1.  In August 2021, WAG was pressured into removing a solidarity statement from the Cloud Studies exhibition by the award-winning university research group, Forensic Architecture. This message of solidarity was expressed to the Palestinian people following the aerial bombardment in Gaza and house evictions in East Jerusalem – both actions violated the laws of war and international humanitarian law as reported by Human Rights Watch and the United Nations.

2. The UoM demanded that WAG remove the statement in response to complaints by an outside body, UK Lawyers for Israel, that the statement was antisemitic. After demonstrations from staff and students (including over 13,000 letters of support for Forensic Architecture sent to the UoM senior management team) the solidarity statement was reinstated, but a counter statement was exhibited alongside it.

It is damaging and dangerous that the UoM supported the idea that a statement against Israel’s war crimes against the Palestinian people was an act of antisemitism, and forced its removal. This was not only a violation of the academic freedom of Forensic Architecture, but also a violation of the principle that universities should provide a space for free critical inquiry and opinion.

Forcing out the WAG director six months after the event is therefore not only punitive, but also shows that the UoM will not support and defend its staff when and if under pressure from outside organisations.

We believe that this action sends a chilling message to all staff and students that they can lose their jobs or be expelled if an outside body disagrees with work being conducted on university campus.

It also shows that UoM is not a nurturing and open space for enquiry and critical discussions about racism, colonialism, occupation, apartheid, and other international instances and experiences of oppression. It is the duty of universities to provide a supportive environment for staff and students to discuss these issues, express solidarity, and hopefully build a better future, without the fear of censorship and other punitive actions being taken against them.

We demand that the UoM reinstate Alistair Hudson and apologise to WAG, the wider UoM staff, and UoM students for this grave violation of the principle of academic and artistic freedom. We also extend our solidarity to the Palestinian people for the right to live with freedom and in dignity.

Signed

1. Professor Mandy Turner, Professor of Conflict, Peace and Humanitarian Affairs, HCRI
2. Dr Ümit Kemal YILDIZ, MIE
3. Kylie Gilchrist, PGR and GTA, Department of Art History
4. Dr Simin Fadaee, Senior Lecturer, Department of Sociology
5. Stephanie Sodero, Lecturer in Responses to Climate Crises, Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute
6. Dr. Alexia Yates, History
7. Dr Nick Thoburn, Reader, Department of Sociology
8. Dr Jessica Hawkins, Senior Lecturer in Humanitarian studies, HCRI
9. Geoff Blunt, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
10. Moshe Behar, Arabic & Middle Eastern Studies
11. Dr Sabine Sharp, GTA in English, American Studies and Creative Writing
12. Dr. Seth Schindler, Senior Lecturer in Urban Development and Transformation, Global Development Institute
13. Professor Tim Jacoby
14. Dr Maria Rusca, Global Development Institute
15. Dr David Swanson, MIE
16. Dr. Mato Lagator, Sir Henry Dale fellow, FBMH
17. Professor Erica Burman, Manchester Institute of Education
18. Dr Tanja Bastia, Reader, Global Development Institute
19. Tomas Frederiksen, Senior lecturer, GDI
20. Dr Molly Geidel, English, American Studies and Creative Writing
21. Dr Tom Gillespie, Global Development Institute
22. Dr Christopher Foster, Global Development Institute
23. Dr Cristina Temenos, Senior Lecturer, Geography
24. Dr Janelle Hixon, GTA, Art History and Cultural Practices
25. Morgan Rhys Powell, Department of Sociology, UMUCU joint Anti-Casualisation Officer
26. Francisco Espinoza, PGR and GTA Politics
27. Francisca Álvarez, PhD researcher, GDI
28. Emeritus Professor, Chris Roberts, Centre for Biostatistics
29. Dr Hilary White, English Literature, American Studies and Creative Writing
30. Emeritus Professor, Roseanne McNamee, Centre for Biostatistics
31. Dr Roisin Read, HCRI
32. Aneez Esmail, Professor of General Practice, FBMH
33. Niels Weijenberg, PGR, Art History and Cultural Practices
34. Chris Millson, Library
35. Dr Meghan Tinsley, Presidential Fellow, Sociology
36. Dr Graham Smith, Law
37. Judy Thorne, Social Anthropology
38. Phoebe Harding-Walker, PGR and GTA Psychology
39. Dr Petra Nordqvist, Senior Lecturer, Sociology
40. Lou Miller, School of Environment, Education and Development
41. Professor Bridget Byrne, Sociology
42. Nathalie Perl, Sustainable Consumption Institute
43. Professor Matthew Paterson, Politics
44. Professor Aristea Koukiadaki, School of Social Sciences
45. Pedro Silva Rocha Lima, Social Anthropology
46. Professor Emerita, Jennifer Mason, Sociology
47. Dr Leah Gilman, Research Fellow in Social Sciences
48. Dr Catherine Arthur, HCRI
49. Althea Cupo, Institute for Cultural Practices
50. Dr Stephen Hicks, School of Health Sciences
51. Professor Ian Parker, Manchester Institute of Education
52. Dr Laura Fenton, Research Associate, SEED
53. Professor Iain Scobbie, Professor of Public International Law, Director of the Manchester International Law Centre
54. Dr Santiago Leyva Del Río, Research Associate, Geography
55. Professor Jackie Stacey, English, American Studies and Creative Writing
56. Dr Robert Meckin, Sociology, SoSS
57. Professor Bertrand Taithe, History and HCRI
58. Katy Jackson, PGR, Institute for Cultural Practices
59. Dr Henrik Ernstson, Lecturer, Dept of Geography
60. Professor James Nazroo, Department of Sociology
61. Prof David Alderson, Department of English, Creative Writing and American Studies
62. Phil Reed, Library
63. Dr Luke Bhatia, Politics
64. Emilia Howker, PGR/ST, Manchester Institute of Education
65. Dr. Rubina Jasani
66. Dr Aoileann Ní Mhurchú
67. Dr Antoine Burgard, HCRI
68. Dr Franco Galdini, Politics
69. Professor Vivien Walsh, Alliance Manchester Business School
70. Professor Vanessa May, Sociology
71. Dr Luke Yates, Lecturer, SoSS
72. Dr Nicola Banks, GDI
73. Dr Joanna Taylor
74. Prof Peter Knight, English & American Studies
75. Professor Liam Harte, English, American Studies and Creative Writing
76. Professor Ben Harker, EAC
77. Dr Claire Reddleman, Art History and Cultural Practices
78. Dr Richie Nimmo, Senior Lecturer, Department of Sociology
79. Dr Anke Bernau, English and American Studies
80. Prof. David Matthews, English department
81. Ms Frances Leviston, English, American Studies & Creative Writing
82. Dr Sundhya Walther, EAC
83. Dr Adam Ozanne, School of Social Sciences
84. Manasij Pal Chowdhury, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences
85. Jennifer Blake, University of Manchester Library
86. Emeritus Professor Elena Lieven, Human Communication, Development & Hearing
87. Dr Saskia Warren, Geography
88. Diana Kealey, American Studies and International Office
89. Dr Nadim Mirshak, Sociology
90. Dr Alice Sverdlik, Lecturer in Social Development, GDI
91. Professor Jerome de Groot, EACW
92. Professor Philippa Browning, Department of Physics and Astronomy
93. Karen Clarke, Politics
94. Dr Michele Abendstern, Division of Population Health, Health Services Research and Primary Care
95. Dr Peter McMylor, Department of Sociology
96. Prof Eithne Quinn, English and American Studies
97. Pat Devine, Honorary Research Fellow
98. Prof Steven Jones, Manchester Institute of Education
99. Dr Howard Booth, English Literature, English Literature, American Studies and Creative Writing
100. Liz Ackerley, Geography
101. Jeanette Edwards, Social Anthropology
102. Dr Teresa O’Brien Education
103. Dr Abigail Gilmore, Art History & Cultural Practices
104. Frances Liddell, Institute for Cultural Practices
105. Ismail Erturk, Alliance Manchester Business School
106. Frances Liddell, Institute for Cultural Practices
107. Dr Alexandra D’Onofrio, Social Anthropology
108. Dr Andy Hardman, Art History and Cultural Practices
109. Dr Kostas Arvanitis, Art History and Cultural Practices
110. Prof Andrew Irving, Social Anthropology
111. Dr J Michelle Coghlan, Senior Lecturer in American Studies, EACW
112. Dr Emma Martin, Art History and Cultural Practices
113. Annie Harrison, Division of Population Health, Health Services Research and Primary Care
114. Dr Michael Sanders, Senior Lecturer, English Literature, American Studies & Creative Writing
115. Professor Gary Younge, Sociology
116. Dr Lloyd Cawthorne, Physics and Astronomy
117. Dr Jenna Mittelmeier, Manchester Institute of Education
118. Horatio Clare, Lecturer, Non-fiction, English, American Studies and Creative Writing
119. Dr Remi Joseph-Salisbury, Sociology
120. Stian Soiland-Reyes, Department of Computer Science
121. Dr Petra Tjitske Kalshoven, Social Anthropology
122. Elizabeth Gow, John Rylands Research Institute and Library
123. Aleksandra Szymczyk, Postgraduate Researcher, Department of Social Anthropology
124. Dr Alexandra Ciocanel, Social Anthropolog
125. Luan Carpes Barros Cassal, Manchester Institute of Education
126. Jérémie Voirol, Social Anthropology
127. Dr Ivette Hernandez, Lecturer, SoSS
128. Vona Groarke, English, American Studies & Creative Writing
129. Prof Khalid Nadvi, Global Development Institute
130. Dr Luca Scholz, Digital Humanities
131. Dr Daniel Welch, Sociology
132. Dr Naomi Baker, English, American Studies and Creative Writing
133. Professor Judith Aldridge, Criminology
134. Dr Naomi Baker, English, American Studies and Creative Writing
135. Dr Sue Taylor, FBMH, SBS
136. Dr Claire Fox, Criminology
137. Dr Lisa Williams, Dept of Criminology
138. Dr Safina Islam, Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre, University Manchester Library
139. Dr Annie Dickinson, Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre
140. Dr Jo Deakin, Criminology
141. Dr Dalia Mostafa, Arabic & Middle Eastern Studies
142. Dr Sophie Everest, Lecturer in Film Practice, Drama and Film Department
143. Neil Walton, Mathematics
144. Dr Laura Bui, Criminology
145. Indranil Dutta, School of Social Sciences
146. Maya Sharma, Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre, University of Manchester Library
147. Dr Sally Jacobs, Lecturer SHS
148. Luke Kelly, Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute
149. Professor John O’Neill, Philosophy
150. Patricia Morris, Theology
151. James Lawrence Slattery, School of Arts, Language, and Culture
152. Joseph Hunter, English, American Studies & Creative Writing
153. Tom Drew, PhD Candidate, Russian and Eurasian Studies
154. Megan Wilson, English, American Studies and Creative Writing
155. Prof Daniela Caselli, EAC
156. Dr. Ahmed Bhayat, Computer Science
157. Morgan Hale, PhD researcher and Graduate Teaching Assistant, Music
158. Dr Martha Hilton, Physics and Astronomy
159. Shezad Mohamed, PhD and GTA, Mathematics
160. Dr Dharmi Kapadia, Sociology
161. Dr Nigel de Noronha Cathie Marsh Institute
162. Dr Silke Trommer, Politics
163. Dr Carlos van Tongeren, Modern Languages and Cultures
164. Dr Ilaria Bernocchi, Art History and Cultural Practices
165. Dr Brian Wallace, John Rylands Research Institute and Library
166. Fiona Porter, Physics & Astronomy
167. Dr Alicia J Rouverol, School of Arts, Languages and Cultures
168. Prof Georgina Waylen, Politics
169. Dr Judith McGovern, Physics and Astronomy
170. John Churcher, Psychology
171. Emeritus Professor David Denison, Linguistics and English Language and English Language
172. Dr Lydia Morris, Clinical Psychology
173. Ameur Bayar, School of Biological Sciences
174. Dr Jenny K Rodriguez, Alliance Manchester Business School
175. Professor Emerita Alison Wearden, Psychology & Mental Health
176. Dr Susan Hogan
177. Emeritus Professor Ian Plewis, Social Statistics
178. Ahmad Alam GTA, School of Computer Science
179. Dr Nathaniel Andrews, Modern Languages and Cultures
180. Laura Caradonna, Collection care team leader, University of Manchester library
181. Dr Robert Spencer
182. Dr Aneeqa Khan, Research Fellow, MACE
183. Simon Holden, Department of Chemistry
184. Professor Emeritus Stephanie Barrientos
185. Rachel Law, Dalton Nuclear Institute
186. Dr Stephanie Rinaldi, HCRI
187. Dr Catherine Roberts, Art History & Cultural Practices
188. Emeritus Professor Peter Gatrell, History

FORENSIC ARCHITECTURE:
189. Eyal Weizman, Director of Forensic Architecture
190. Dr Samaneh Moafi, Forensic Architecture
191. Dimitra Andritsou, Forensic Architecture
192. Sarah Nankivell, Forensic Architecture
193. Nicholas Masterton, Forensic Architecture
194. Kishan San, Forensic Architecture
195. Elizabeth Breiner, Forensic Architecture

 

Comments (6)

  • Joseph Hannigan says:

    well done…keep on ,keeping on!

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  • Martin Read says:

    I used to love the Whitworth when I lived in Rusholme. I’d often walk there for some artistic inspiration and feel suitably buoyed.
    Solidarity with Alistair- good man!

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  • Stephen Richards says:

    Freedom of Speech is Alive & Well in Great Britain?

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  • Tim Towers says:

    Perhaps the NUS should recommend a boycott of applications to study at Manchester until the demanded apology is forthcoming. Manchester University has behaved in a way that is completely antithetical to the fundamental tenets of a university.

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  • Annie says:

    Bravo. As an ex Uni of Man student I was appalled at its grotesque and clumsy over-reaction to the exhibition. As were Jews I know here in the USA. ‘Cancel culture’ at its very worst.

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  • Chris Main says:

    Outstanding solidarity! You often hear the term ‘institutional cowardice’ but in the case of UoM I think it fits those who made this decision to a ‘T’. Be very interesting to hear their reply or what weasly words they manage to cobble together. Debate and discuss, don’t ban opinions and sack innocent people.

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