After weeks of renewed censorship of expression of solidarity with Palestine, the Branch adopted the below motion at a Branch Meeting on 16 December 2025.

This branch notes

  1. The ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, in the form of continuing attacks and the denial of aid, despite the agreement of a formal “ceasefire”;
  2. The continuing climate of repression against expressions of solidarity with Palestine, including targeting students and staff on university campuses. We also note the escalating targeting of expressions of solidarity with Palestine at Queen Mary, including the previous break in and forced removal of posters from the UCU branch office.
  3. The ongoing refusal of Queen Mary management to divest from complicit companies or to break research ties with Israeli universities and arms companies, as has been widely demanded by both staff and students;
  4. The recently announced policy in several academic Schools prohibiting the display of any and all material expressing solidarity with Palestine on academic office doors and windows; 
  5. That this policy arose following direct pressure from the Principal, acting on unsubstantiated allegations that this material was antisemitic;
  6. The frequent ongoing removal of such material from office doors within and beyond those Schools;
  7. That this material included posters and stickers produced and circulated by UCU;
  8. Implicit and explicit threats of disciplinary action against colleagues who display material expressing solidarity with Palestine;

This branch believes that

  1. Any allegation of racism, including antisemitism, must be taken seriously and should be carefully investigated and acted upon if upheld;
  2. The use of allegations that conflate antisemitism with solidarity with Palestinians as a basis for restricting lawful speech undermines the vital struggle against antisemitism and encourages vexatious complaints;
  3. The display of material on office doors and windows is, and has long been, a vital component of free speech, academic freedom, and trade union activity;
  4. The display of material expressing solidarity with Palestine is clearly a form of lawful speech protected by law, the OfS code of practice, and the university charter;
  5. The banning of such material is clearly unlawful and discriminatory, will have a chilling effect on pro-Palestinian speech, and must be challenged.

This branch resolves

  1. To support and where necessary represent affected members in bringing a collective grievance and complaints to the OfS to challenge the ban on the display of material expressing solidarity with Palestine;
  2. To table this as an item for discussion at the next Joint Consultative Forum meeting with management;
  3. To defend any member of staff facing disciplinary threats for the display of such material, through casework and if necessary through industrial action;
  4. To reaffirm that the branch campaign in solidarity with Palestine is ongoing, in line with local and national policy.
  5. To continue liaising with students and the Students Union regarding this response.