Today (May 9th) an encampment began on the Green Heart in support of the people of Palestine, making several demands of the University.
The increasing violence in Gaza and the wider region is horrifying and our thoughts continue to be with all of those impacted.
As your Full-Time Officers, we reaffirm the right of students to take part in peaceful, non-hateful, protest. We stand against the over-policing and criminalisation of student protest. We urge the University to engage in constructive dialogue with student activists.
We are actively working with the University and all relevant student groups to safeguard the welfare of student activists and the wider student community, including minimising the impact on exams. Guild facilities and services remain open to all students as normal.
We recognise that incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia increase when protests take place on campus. Please report all incidents of harassment or discrimination.
There are specific services available for anyone experiencing antisemitism. You can contact:
- The Union of Jewish Students' hotline on 020 7424 3288
- The Community Security Trust on 0800 032 3263, or
- ??In an emergency call 999.
There are specific services available for anyone experiencing Islamophobia. You can contact:
- ??Tell MAMA, where you can speak in confidence
- The Muslim Youth Helpline, which offers an online chat service as well as traditional contact methods, and
- The Islamophobia Response Unit, or
- ??In an emergency call 999.
Our services are also here to support you. Should you need to reach out for any reason, contact:
- Our Guild Advice service (wellbeing and academic issues, including mitigating and extenuating circumstances) or
- Our Student Mentor team for those living in University of Birmingham accommodation.
You can also access the University's student support services including:
- Speaking to the Wellbeing Officer in your School/College
- UB Heard, the University's confidential helpline
- Report and support, which you can access anonymously or
- The Multi-Faith Chaplaincy, where you can speak confidentially to someone.
Your Full-Time Officer Team