Bristol SU officers criticise the university over student racism allegations

‘We express our solidarity and support’


On the 17th of January we released a story involving three Bristol students who had suffered from racial abuse at the hands of other students.

The students were attacked with monkey chants on the streets and were subjected to racist mocking on Facebook and WhatsApp.

You can read the story here.

The three students’ accounts have ignited a discussion on the subject of race at university and has put pressure on the University of Bristol to do more.

One of the abusers commenting on a victim’s Facebook status

Bristol SU’s elected officers have released a statement that aims to put such a pressure on the Uni:

“First and foremost, we would like to state that we recognise the experiences of racism faced by the three students. It is extremely difficult to come forward and talk openly about the experience of racism, and we recognise the bravery and honesty of these students in doing so. We express our solidarity and support.

We also take issue with the University’s statement that racism is not an issue on campus. This very article shows that it is. We reiterate the sentiments of students that the university must do more to combat racism. The fact that few instances are formally reported says more about the system than the reality for BME students on campus.”

“Bristol SU is committed to combatting racism in all its forms. We have this month secured £5000 from the University to research the experiences of BME students on campus and we would urge students of colour to be involved. Your Students’ Union is here to support you, recognise your experiences and continue the fight against racism at University.

If anyone needs support in reporting a hate crime on campus, or needs someone to talk to in order to report racism on campus, please get in touch with one of us. Our free and confidential advice service Just Ask is also trained to help you with reporting.”

Hannah, Jamie, Laura, John, Zoe, Stephen