SOAS students win legal settlement against SU after dismissal for pro-Palestine activism

Two former students at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London have won a legal settlement with the Students’ Union after they were dismissed from their elected roles due for their pro-Palestine activism and anti-Zionist beliefs.

Alexander Cachinero-Gorman and Abel Harvie-Clark were removed from their sabbatical posts in 2024, before taking office, despite being freely elected by the student body. Both activists allege that their dismissals were politically motivated, aimed at silencing their outspoken support for Palestine.

Gorman had been elected vice president of welfare and campaigns, and Clark as vice president of democracy and education, in March 2024. Yet by June, the students’ union trustee board had dismissed them over alleged misconduct and criticism of union leadership, sparking outrage among the student community.

After tribunal proceedings began, the dispute was resolved through a confidential settlement. Gorman described the outcome as a “bittersweet victory” and “a clear recognition that a profound wrong was done,” while warning that it did not erase the ongoing systemic hostility toward anti-Zionist students at SOAS.

“SOAS and its students’ union made it clear that genuine student democracy and institutional accountability are intolerable,” Gorman told Middle East Eye. “By dismissing us before we even took office, they signalled that they can unilaterally align with Zionist organisations, host genocidaires on campus, and attack trade unionists without consequences.”

Clark added that the experience had left them in “years of forced limbo,” with the message from management being that student democracy and activism only exist at their discretion. “They are attempting to bypass liberal norms around free speech to transform the university into an authoritarian space, where academic freedom and workers’ rights are conditional gifts,” he said.

via Unsplash

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Court documents show tensions escalated following a series of pro-Palestine protests, including rallies against the Union of Jewish Students’ presence at a freshers’ fair and demonstrations after Israel’s bombardment of Gaza in October 2023.

Although no formal judgment was issued, the case underscores the growing conflict on UK campuses over pro-Palestine activism and the institutional measures used to suppress it.

Franck Magennis, representing the students, said the case demonstrates how SOAS and its union “actively suppress anti-Zionist speech and trade union activity on campus.” He added: “This legal victory confirms that Zionist positions are increasingly indefensible, whether in court or public debate. SOAS Students’ Union should apologise publicly and launch a robust inquiry into institutional anti-Palestinian racism.”

The settlement follows other acts of repression at SOAS, including last year’s expulsion of Haya Adam, president of the SOAS Palestine Society, for her pro-Palestine activism. Protesters have also criticised the university’s research links to the UK Ministry of Defence, Israeli universities, and banks allegedly financing Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

SOAS, SOAS Students’ Union and the Israeli Embassy have been contacted for comment.

Featured image (left before edits) via Shadowssettle under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0, and (right) via Unsplash